To Save a Spark
by Demon's Rose
Summary: Post'07. When her dreams become more than just visions and her summer goes to hell, what will Cassie do when she learns that she could possibly save a lost Spark? Ch. 20: Cassie meets some "in"famous Autobots and things go downhill from there....
1. Dreaming of Death

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor will I ever, own any of the Transformers mentioned in this fic. All recognizable Transformers belong to Hasbro, lucky guys.

Hello, avid Transformer fans! This is my first fanfiction ever, so I hope you all will enjoy it!

**EDIT: READ CLOSELY!**

For those of you who have read this fic from the beginning, this applies mainly to you, but newcomers are welcomed to read this as well. This is not the original opening chapter I posted for this story: I have done a lot of thinking and finally decided that yes, some of my chapters could do with a little "revamping". So, as of right now, the **ONLY** chapter that has changed is this one. I will keep you all updated on the changes as I can get through them, along with chapter 18.

If you feel like reviewing (and you already have for this original chapter) I don't expect you to review again. But, if you have anything to say, let me know.

A big round of applause for my beta reader Yiroma, who actually put up with my constant whinings. XD

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"...it really is like going to bed after a very, _very_ long day. After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure"

-Albus Dumbledore, from **Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone** by J.K. Rowling

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**Chapter 1: Dreaming of Death**

'_I can't jus' sit here and watch. I have ta fight. I must protect them."_

_He spun around, tires whining in protest against the sudden speed. Reluctantly, he left his injured comrade behind and sped down the street, knowing he was their only chance for an escape. _

_He swerved wildly in his silver Pontiac Solstice, trying to avoid the debris that now littered the once clean area. Cars were upturned, many reduced to oddly twisted scraps of metal. Giant chunks of concrete that had been blown off buildings were scattered dangerously on the road. People were running everywhere, screaming, shouting, fleeing from the nearby battlefield. Followed by his allies in a yellow H3 Hummer and a jet black GMC Topkick truck, he headed straight for the tan and green army tank that was slowly advancing on him, oblivious to the vehicles it drove over, crushing them flat. _

_The tank paused in its onward march, stopping dead in the center of the street. Raising its barrel with ease, there was no doubt where it was aiming._

'_Slag,' he shouted angrily, unheard over the deafening roar of explosions._

_The cannon fired twice, the missiles heading directly for him. He had no time to hesitate as he jerked to the other side of the road, narrowly avoiding the missile that exploded where he had been two seconds ago. The second missile forced him to turn onto an adjacent street to continue. A side approach seemed to be the only way for him to reach the tank. Not his style, but it would work._

_He knew that if he stayed in his Pontiac Solstice, he would have no chance of beating the tank. Pushing his speed to the max, he charged down the abandoned street, hoping to stop the tank before it fired again. He was left with only one choice. Seconds before he crashed into the tank, he slammed his brakes to the floor. _

_A loud screeching echoed from all around him as he quickly began changing, the sound of metal shifting, gears rearranging and various clicks as parts moved and shifted into place effortlessly. Within a matter of moments, he had changed into his true form; a gleaming, silver Autobot. He slid across the ground, deftly using his arm and leg to slow his momentum._

_In the few moments before he crashed into the tank, he spotted a group of humans huddled together. They were fighting bravely, firing sporadically at the tank, but their primitive weapons could barely dent the thick Cybertronian metal. He launched himself into the air and landed next to the tank's cannon. _

"_C'mon Decepticon punk!" he jeered, grabbing the barrel with one of his hands, attempting to break it off before it fired again. The tank seemed to notice this and it too, started to change just as he did. He held onto the cannon as the tank finished changing into a huge, tan Decepticon with enough weapons and armor to win a war by himself. The Decepticon, which stood almost twice as tall as he did, angrily swiped his massive hands at the silver Autobot._

_He had to act quickly. He aimed a metal foot at the rocket pods attached to the tank's left shoulder and kicked. The Decepticon, better known as Brawl, roared out with a metallic yell, the frequency shattering nearby windows. Before he could even process it, the tank viciously grabbed him by the arm and threw the silver Autobot off his back, sending him flying through the air. His body slammed into a nearby building, pieces of broken metal and glass raining down on him. _

_He recovered rapidly, ignoring the dents and scratches that now criss-crossed his once spotless armor. Shaking the debris off his frame, he scanned his body, checking for any serious damage. The small dents on his chassis and lower leg were nothing his recovery system couldn't heal. The scans revealed nothing more than a few loose wires in his lower leg and the arm that Brawl had almost ripped in two._

"_DIE, AUTOBOT SCUM!!!!!" Brawl yelled, aiming one of his many cannons at the silver Autobot, ignoring the humans completely. The silver Autobot quickly changed his arm into a shield, but before the Decepticon could fire, Brawl's arm was hit by a volley of missiles, clearly not human made. Brawl roared out in fury as he turned to see another Autobot, this one the same dark black as the Topkick, running towards them. Both of his cannons glowed ominously as he continued to fire at the tank._

"_Ironhide!" He watched as Brawl focused his attention on the new Autobot and resumed his barrage of missiles. The black mech flipped forward, avoiding the missiles with trained ease._

"_Hey, 'Hide, leave some o' him for me!" the sliver Autobot shouted as he flipped to his feet, his right arm morphing into an unique combination of a cannon and rotating shield. He slid back into battle, adding to Ironhide's impressive firepower with his own cannon. Momentarily stunned from their combined attack, Brawl stumbled, giving yet another Autobot the perfect chance to attack, its striking yellow armor identical to that of the Hummer, down to the red stripes. The newly arrived mech spun as he leapt over the Decepticon, slicing off the lower part of Brawl's arm._

'_Show off.'_

_The humans joined the ever growing melee, their once ineffective shots now leaving scorching holes in Brawl's armor. The yellow Autobot pulled out another weapon, efficiently blasting the Decepticon. Every pair of eye/optic watched as the tan behemoth fell, sending a small tremor across the ground. _

"_Primus, thanks Ironhide, I owe ya" the silver Autobot said. Ironhide lowered his arms, cannons still humming with the restrained energy._

"_Slaggit, Ratchet, I was going to finish him off," Ironhide growled at the yellow mech._

"_We need to return to Bumblebee" Ratchet replied seriously, ignoring Ironhide. His optics dimmed as he continued. "That pit-born Starscream completely tore both of Bumblebee's lower legs. I left Sam and Mikaela with him, but we need to get them and the Allspark out of here immediately. There are too many Decepticons here, and if more arrive, I don't think we can fight and protect them and the Allspark at the same time." The mechs remained silent, realizing the truth in Ratchet's words_

"_What's taking Optimus so long? He should have easily won against Bonecrusher—" Ironhide stopped mid-sentence, his optics fixed on an object heading straight for the city. The other Autobots followed his gaze, and each felt his Spark burn with anger as the alien aircraft streaked through the sky and disappeared behind some of the taller buildings._

"_Megatron," Ironhide hissed, the fury evident in his voice._

_The silver Autobot whirled around, noting the presence of humans nearby._

"_Move!! Get outta the way!" he shouted angrily, waving his arms at them. The humans just stared at him, every face etched with fear. It angered him that they didn't realize he and his comrades couldn't protect them if they were in the way. Annoyed, he turned back to Ironhide._

"_Ironhide, get ta Sam an' Bee now. I'll hold him off," the silver mech ordered._

"_No! There is no way that you can hold off Megatron by yourself!" he shouted back at him furiously._

"_Now is not the time for arguing," Ratchet snapped, his blue optics narrowing. He stepped between the two mechs. Before he could say another word, the ground trembled violently, announcing Megatron's shift into his bipedal form._

"_Ironhide, you have to go back and protect them," the silver Autobot said forcefully. "Ratchet and I can hold off Megatron until Optimus arrives." As if to prove his point, a blue-tinted visor shifted down from his helmet, shielding his optics behind its powerful lens._

"_Primus, you're so stubborn!" Ironhide shouted as he took off, heading for Bumblebee. At that same moment, an enormous, dull gray giant appeared: Megatron. His optics shone blood red as he walked into view. He stopped briefly to stare at the two Autobots, optics filled with an unquenchable lust for power and destruction. The silver Autobot stared back from behind his visor, his own optics filled with hate; Megatron had killed so many. If he and Ratchet couldn't stop him now... No, they had to stop him, at any cost. _

_Any cost._

"_It's Megatron, retreat!" Ratchet shouted, wildly waving his hands at the retreating humans. "Move! Fall back!"_

_The silver Autobot fired once, his cannon hitting Megatron's heavily armored shoulder plates. Megatron returned fire, the pulse from his weapon exploding at the silver mech's feet. The force of the blast sent him flying, his frame crushing the parked truck as he landed. _

"_You think you can defeat me?" Megatron shouted, his voice reverberating painfully against his audio receptors. "You are foolish, little Autobot."_

_Without warning, Megatron ran at the silver Autobot, grabbing him around the middle with one of his enormous, clawed hands. The Autobot felt Megatron take off with him, Ratchet's cursing drowned out from the blast of Megatron's engines. The Decepticon leader tossed him into the air before slamming him onto a tower. Megatron left nothing to chance as he pinned him down with a large, clawed foot._

_His whole body was racked with pain, worse than any injury he had felt before. His metal skin was buckling dangerously under Megatron's enormous weight. Every sensor he possessed was screaming at him, begging him to escape. Severed wires attempted to reconnect but failed. Sparks illuminated his body from the damaged wires and thin wisps of white smoke slowly trailed from his upper torso. He wanted to defend himself, to fight back, but he was helpless, pinned down mercilessly._

"_Is that all you got, Megatron?" he growled, ignoring the overwhelming pain that threatened to permanently deactivate him._

"_Come here, you little cretin." Picking the silver mech up by one of his now useless legs, Megatron dangled him over the edge. Taking the opening, the Autobot started firing what energy he had left. His shots were more effective at this closer range; small, smoldering holes started dotting Megatron's armor, exposing a network of delicate wires. _

"_You wanna piece o' me?" he yelled out defiantly, swinging wildly._

"_No," Megatron replied as he grabbed the upper part of the silver Autobot with his other hand. "I want two pieces!" As he said this, Megatron forcefully ripped the silver Autobot in two, splitting the top from the bottom completely._

_The pain was unimaginable. Everything felt as if it was on fire. He screamed out even as his vocal processor shut down. The sensors had become one, high pitched note, screaming in his processor. He lost all control over his every system; his upper body nothing more thana mass of twisted metal that jerked involuntarily. He tried to move his arm, but it just hung limply at his side. His optics, which had been bright blue, were becoming darker, unseen behind his visor. He felt his Spark flutter weakly in his chest and the silver Autobot closed his optics in defeat, knowing he was dying. He had failed everyone: the humans, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Ironhide. _

_He had failed Optimus._

'_I am sorry Optimus, I couldn't hold Megatron off long enough,' he silently communicated to his leader as he vaguely felt Megatron toss his two halves aside._

_He smashed into the ground, his body making a small depression in the hard asphalt. He felt a second, fainter crash as his other half hit the ground. He lay there, waiting, desperately fighting against his body's total shutdown. He didn't want to die, but if his life was the price to defeat Megatron and help end the war that had lasted so long, he could accept his fate. He hoped with all his Spark that the Autobots would somehow defeat Megatron and save themselves and the humans._

'_Goodbye, my friends,' he sent weakly to his comrades, not realizing his comms link had already ceased to function. With his final message sent, the silver Autobot gave in to the darkness and moved no more. _

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There, I feel much better. 

Reviews would be gladly welcomed. Any and all flames will be put to good use by making S'mores. Mmmmmm...


	2. Moonlight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Transformers mentioned in this story whatsoever. I only own my characters, (well, except for Melissa, she's my sister, I guess she owns herself.)

A/N: Yay!!! I'm so excited that I was able to post Ch. 2 so soon. Once again, a great big hug goes out to Taibade for beta reading.

I would also like to extend a very warm and deserved Thank You! to Krimson65, blood shifter, Zexion666, Arken Elf and my bf Taiblade, who _actually_ reviewed the 1st Chapter; for doing that, this chapter is dedicated to all of you. I don't mean to sound rude or anything, it's just that I love feedback. A LOT. Sorry this chapter is on the short side, I didn't want to make it too long, but I may change that. Or I might not. Enjoy anyway!!! XD

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"Help! I can't tell where I am. It's dark and I can hear people laughing!"

-random Hot sauce packet from Taco Bell

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**Chapter 2: Moonlight**

"NOOO!!!" a girl screamed softly, her eyes shut tight. Her body jerked and shook as she slept, her nightmare evident.

_Pain, so much pain. She was dying, she couldn't move, no one would come to save her..._

_I can't die, not here. I have to save them. I must protect the..._

Cassandra sat up abruptly, her brown eyes full of fear. She peered around the room, her dream still painfully vivid in her head. She half expected something to come charging through the door, but she slowly relaxed as her eyes adjusted to the near darkness of her own room, the only light coming from her window. She sighed in relief as the familiar objects came into view.

Cassie sat up, eased her legs over the edge of the bed and sat still for a few moments, her hands raking through her shoulder length brown hair. She glanced at her clock and groaned.

2:17 a.m.

_It was dream, it was only a dream,_ she repeated over and over, trying to reassure herself. She rubbed her shoulders nervously as the goosebumps slowly faded away. Her heartrate was slowing down, having been dangerously high only moments before. Cassie touched her chest only to remove it quickly. She looked at her shirt and groaned again. Her favorite shirt was covered in sweat and was sticking annoyingly to her back.

Cassie stood up and walked over to the window at the foot of her bed. She leaned her forehead against it, the glass cooling her slightly warm forehead. She squinted for a few moments, her eyes adjusting from the darkness of her room to the bright moonlight that was pouring in.

Cassie gazed at her backyard, which was full of various types of trees and shrubs, all swaying gently with the apparent breeze outside. No giant robots moved through the trees, no missiles exploded nearby, no blood-red eyes glared back at her. It looked just the same as it did when she went to bed.

Cassie shifted her focus to the sky, staring at the stars winking off and on against a blanket of inky blackness.

She closed her eyes, attempting to remember her dream. _There was a boy and a girl about her age...a military group, and...and_ **giant robots**. _They were fighting over something_...she knew it was important, but she didn't know why.

It seemed, though, that the more she tried to remember about her dream, the quicker the details were fading away.

_Screams...people were screaming...The ground was exploding..._, Cassie gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on nothing but the vision.

_She had been trying to protect the boy and the girl...what were their names? She had fought against a tank, a tank that had changed...into a giant robot...Were there more robots like it?_

Cassie banged her fist against the wall in anger. Why was this dream any different from any of her other dreams? Why did it bother her so much, and why was she mad that she was slowing forgetting it?

_She had fought against another robot, this one towering over her. He seemed to radiate evil...blood red eyes...a laugh so cold and heartless it could cool lava instantly...eyes full of hate and fury..._

_She had feared him more than any thing else, but beneath the fear, there was a hatred. A hatred that was long and deep. One that came from years of fighting, losing friends, losing their home..._

Cassie stopped for a moment, losing focus as she tried to recall who, or more correctly, what he was. She had never seen the evil-looking robot before, and he hadn't harmed her in any way, so how could she hate him?

_Suddenly she was pinned down...he was standing on top of her, crushing every part of her body. She was dying..._

"_You wanna piece of me?" she yelled out defiantly._

"_No, I want two pieces!" the robot shouted back._

_The giant robot violently grabbed an arm and a leg, and without hesitating for a moment, pulled her apart, completely separating her in half. The pain was unbearable..._ Cassie shuddered, remembering this last detail clearly. That was what had pulled her from her dream. The pain. It felt as if her stomach was on fire, every nerve screaming out in pain.

No, wait, had that been in the dream as well?

"Slaggit, I'm so confused!" Cassie shouted, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. She had completely forgotten what time it was, and she listened intently, hoping that the rest of her family was still asleep. When nothing moved in the house, she lowered her hand, silently thanking her mom for taking those sleeping pills earlier that night.

_Slaggit? What in the world does that mean? Did I just swear?_ Cassie thought. _If I did, then that was the weirdest curse word I have ever heard..._

Cassie moved away from the window, her neck sore for staring up so long. She fumbled around in the darkness, looking for the light switch. She stubbed her toe against her bed in the process, and swore softly, remembering she needed to be quiet. She found it and blinked as the lights came on with a soft _pop_.

Once her eyes had adjusted, she walked over to her dresser. She quickly removed her sweat-soaked shirt and tossed towards the basket, but missed it completely. Wanting to get back to bed, Cassie grabbed the shirt on top, which happened to be a thick white tank top. She quickly put it on and stared at her reflection in the mirror, making sure she hadn't put it on backwards.

Cassie fingered her brown hair as she gazed at the mirror, still not used to it being short. It had always been long until recently, when her older sister Melissa insisted she needed a new look and had forcefully intervened, cutting it so short that the tips barely grazed her shoulders. Her eyes were brown as well, which contrasted so much against the blonde hair and blues eyes of the rest of her family. She wasn't the tallest in her family, but she wasn't considered short by anyone at school. She was almost the perfect image of the "typical" teenager. The only thing that Cassie really liked about her features was the series of moles right underneath her left eye, which resembled The Little Dipper.

Her mind wandered back to her dream, or rather, her nightmare. _The pain had felt so real, though_, Cassie thought. _If it is real, then there should be some sort of bruise or something..._

Cassie lifted up her shirt until it was just below her ribcage. Her lightly tanned skinned showed no signs of bruising, bleeding or any type of injury whatsoever. She gently poked her side, but she didn't feel anything besides where she had poked herself. She touched a different area, a little harder this time, but still, nothing felt out of place.

Cassie let her shirt fall back down, satisfied that she had probably only imagined the pain. She flipped the lights off and gratefully crawled into bed, wanting nothing more than to get some sleep and forget about the dream.

"Giant robots, huh?" she murmured sleepily, her mouth curving into a half smile. "That's what I get for eating Mom's chocolate-covered-pickles before bed...No more..." Within moments, Cassie had fallen asleep, her head buried beneath her pillow.

Only minutes after Cassie fell asleep, her room was suddenly lit up by a blazingly bright blue light shining in through her window. Slowly, it faded away, and had disappeared completely just as Cassie's pillow had fallen off her head.

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A/N: Hmmm, I wonder what happens next...

Please, please, please review!!!! And if anyone wants to flame, be my guest. Just know that they will all be used for the BBQ I'm going to have on Labor Day.

If anyone has any questions, I will be more than happy to try and answer them as best as I can without giving anything away.


	3. Goodbye

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers or any products mentioned in this story. All Transformers are owned by Hasbro. Man, do you realize how rich I'd be if I did:)

A/N: Okay, I apologize for the summary I had posted earlier. I meant to put "post2007movie" but I goofed and forget to put the "post" in there, for those of you who have followed this since I first started this fic. To clear up matter once and for all, this story starts **AFTER** the 2007 live-action film, which totally rocked, by the way! I apologize completely T-T. I'm updating sooner than I had planned to, mainly because of a little thing called "college". I don't know how soon I'll be able to update after this one, it may be a couple of days. I have Chapter 5 ready to go, but I'm still working on finishing Chapter 4.

I owe Taibade a whole batch of my chocolate chocolate brownies for beta reading. XD

I _promise,_ Chapter 4 **will **focus on the Autobots, mainly because Ironhide is about ready to use me for "target practice" to test out his new cannons. O.O

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"Never judge a book by its movie"

-one of my many bookmarks, said by **J.W. Eagan**

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**Chapter 3: Good-bye**

"Cassie! Wake up! We're leaving in twenty minutes!"

Cassie rolled over, trying to ignore her mother's voice echoing down the hallway. As she rolled over, she didn't realize how close to the edge of her bed she was, and landed on the floor with a resounding thud.

"Cassandra? Are you all right?" her mother called up the stairs.

"Yes, I'm fine, just working on my landings," she replied. Cassie stood up and stretched, her hands almost touching the low ceiling in her bedroom. She walked over to closet and picked out a pair of jeans and a dark blue t-shirt with a large, silver butterfly on the back. She grabbed an old pair of sandals and headed downstairs to the kitchen, in desperate need of breakfast.

Her foot had barely left the last step before she was tackled around the knees and brought to the ground. Cassie lifted her head slightly, and came face to face with a wide smile that was missing a quite a few teeth.

"Cathhie!" her little sister Rebecca squealed in delight as she smiled at Cassie. Her bright blue eyes were almost covered by her long, blonde hair, which apparently she had tried to brush herself, as the comb was still stuck in her hair.

"Becca, come here, you're not ready yet," Cassie laughed as she tried to remove the brush from Becca's hair. Becca sat still and waited patiently as Cassie worked through the knots and gently eased the comb out. As soon as it was removed, Becca took off, spreading her arms out and saying "WHOOOSSHH!!!" as she ran outside.

"Cassandra? Are you downstairs? Come to the kitchen; I need to talk to you about a few things before we leave."

"Coming," Cassie replied, making her way to the kitchen slowly. She walked in and saw her mother sitting at the table, checking over all the papers, passports and tickets they would need. Cassie sat down and grabbed a slice of toast off the table.

"Cassie, do you know where Rebecca is? She hasn't finished her cereal yet."

"Yeah, I think she just took off, saying something like 'WHOOOSH' and flying out the door," Cassie replied, noticing her mom really didn't catch the joke.

"Are you ready to leave?" her mother continued, not taking her eyes off the papers.

"Phess, I hamm," Cassie answered, her mouth full of toast. Her mother looked up and sighed deeply when she saw Cassie.

"Cassandra, dear, you're hair is a mess. Did you even brush it this morning?"

"No, and besides, even if I did, it wouldn't help it look any better."

"Dear, just because Melissa made a little mistake doesn't mea-"

"A little? Oh, yeah, this is definitely only a LITTLE mistake," she said sarcastically as she grabbed a fistful of her hair, which had gone under a slight transformation in the past week. "It's so easy to confuse red and blonde."

Melissa was Cassie's older sister and a practicing beautician. Melissa was skilled in giving haircuts and doing elaborate hairstyles for proms and weddings, but she had no experience with highlights, which Cassie had experienced first hand. Melissa had been bugging Cassie for a month to let her try highlights on Cassie's hair, saying she needed to practice on someone before she left for France. Cassie had given in only because she couldn't stand Melissa's whining every single day. Somehow, Melissa had "accidentally" used the wrong dye and Cassie had ended up with deep red highlights instead of blonde.

"Cassie, your hair looks fine, and the color goes so well with your brown hair. Besides, you needed a little change anyway, so stop whining," Melissa said as she walked past the table. Cassie opened her mouth to reply, but with a stern look from her mom, she took another bite of her toast instead.

"Cassie, I need you to pay attention, I want to make sure you understand everything before we leave for the airport." Cassie listened reluctantly as her mother went over the huge list of "do's and don'ts" for about the tenth time.

Melissa had been accepted to a beauty school in France and had wanted to leave as soon as possible. Her mother hadn't liked the idea of Melissa flying by herself to a foreign country. Her mother had finally agreed to let Melissa attend the beauty school if she spent her summer vacation with her mother, Cassie's grandmother, who lived near Paris. Her mom thought that if Melissa spent time with her grandmother, she would ease into life in France much easier. Cassie's grandmother was thrilled at the idea, and had invited the entire family to come and spend summer vacation with her. The problem, though, was that Cassie's family had no one to watch the house for them while they were gone. So, Cassie's mother had asked Cassie to stay, and although Cassie had refused at first, the thought of a whole summer without Melissa was too tempting to pass up. So, Melissa, Rebecca and her mother were leaving for France today. Cassie had to wake up early as well because she was driving them to the airport.

Cassie's mind wandered back to her dream, which still caused her to shiver slightly. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like it wasn't a dream, but a memory, someone else's memory that she was seeing and feeling.

_But it's impossible to see another person's memory, let alone dream about it,_ she thought._ Isn't it?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Flight 512 to Paris, France is ready for boarding. Please have your tickets and passports out. Thank you."

Cassie jumped slightly as the monotonous voice echoed loudly throughout the airport. They had arrived at the airport two hours early, her mother worried that the flight would be full. They wandered through the airport, Cassie carrying two of Melissa's five bags and trying to hold onto Rebecca's hand at the same time. Melissa finally spotted the right terminal and Cassie gratefully sank down onto a hard, plastic chair, her shoulders sore from carrying the heavy suitcases.

"Catthie, look! Air plane!" Rebecca squealed, pointing at the huge aircraft that was slowly rolling up to their gate. Rebecca smiled up at Cassie, who smiled back.

"I'm going to miss you, Becca," Cassie said softly as she gave Becca a hug.

"I'll mith you too, Cathhie," Becca replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. Cassie noticed it and saw that Becca had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Becca, don't cry, you're going to make me cry," Cassie laughed gently as she hugged Becca tighter. "I want you to have a good time, okay? Paris is beautiful, and grandma's house is awesome. She has _horses._" Cassie added, knowing Becca loved horses.

"Really?"

"Would I lie?" Cassie said as Becca's face glowed at the thought of horses. "I promise, you'll love grandma."

"Wheeee, I'm going to see horsies!!" Becca squealed.

"Rebecca, baby, are you ready to go?" Cassie's mom said as she walked over with Melissa. Becca jumped into her arms and said, "I wanna see the horsies!!!"

"Soon, Rebecca, soon," she laughed as she set Becca back down. Cassie stood up and her mother pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, Cassie, please be safe while we're gone, okay?" her mother whispered in her ear. "I know you will, and I'm sorry that you can't come. You know I really appreciate you staying home, right? I'll make it up to you when we get back, alright?" Cassie pulled away slightly so she could look her mother face to face. Her eyes were full of worry and concern.

"I'll miss you too, mom," Cassie replied, trying not to cry. "I love all of you, and I want you to have a good time. Don't worry," she added jokingly "I promise, I won't blow up the house _this_ time."

Her mom laughed as she hugged Cassie one more time. "I know you won't." Cassie let go of her mom, and looked at Melissa, who was checking her reflection in her mirror. Sighing, Cassie walked over to Melissa.

Melissa and Cassie had never gotten along at all, and it was taking everything Cassie had to do this. _Just do it for mom_, Cassie repeated over and over to herself as she stopped in front of Melissa.

"Melissa, I just wanted to..."

"Yes?" Melissa said, not taking her eyes off her mirror.

"Well, um," Cassie said, fighting the urge to walk away and never speak to Melissa again. "I, uh, wanted to...thank you for everything." That caught Melissa's attention. She looked up and stared at Cassie, not believing what she had just heard. "And," Cassie continued, "I hope you have a good year at school and I will..._miss_ you," she said, forcing the last two words out rather reluctantly.

Cassie stood still, waiting to see how Melissa would react. Melissa stood there for a few moments, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide with shock. Slowly, a small smile worked itself across her mouth and Melissa gently hugged her. "I'll miss you too, Cassandra," Melissa said as they pulled apart.

"Melissa! We need to leave now!" her mother called. Cassie and Melissa turned to see Rebecca and their mom standing in line, waving Melissa over. Melissa and Cassie walked over together, each one still a little amazed at the other's sudden change in behavior.

"Good-bye, everyone, I love you," Cassie said as she gave each one of them one final hug. Cassie stood back as she watched them disappear, a single tear trailing down her cheek. She quickly rubbed her eyes, drying the tear completely. She waited until after the plane had taken off before she started the long walk back to the parking lot.

By the time she had made it out to her car, she could see huge storm clouds in the distance, slowly moving in the general direction of her house. Cassie sighed loudly. She hated driving in the rain.

_Well, that was odd,_ Cassie mused as she drove down the busy highway._ Hopefully, I won't be too bored while they're gone._

If only she knew how right she was.

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Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side, the next one will be longer, I promise!!! 

**Please read and review**! I'm starting to think no one really likes this except for the **6** people who have reviewed...

If any one has any ideas, I would love to hear them. Who knows? Maybe I'll ask you if I can borrow it? Once again-

**READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	4. Base Sweet Base

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro. (This is getting really old really fast...)

**A/N: **Aiiiii, I'm sorry!!!! I know I said I would update sooner, but some things got in the way and this chapter had been pushed back. I'm sorry! (dodges tomatoes)

Anyway, I want to thank all of the people who reviewed the last chapter: Of-Light-and-Shadow, fk306 animelover, BadLuck92, Prime Revolver, IdiotOnParade and Lnzy1. Thank you all so much!!!

A special thanks goes out to Elita One for both reviewing the last chapter and helping with some questions I had for future chapters. You're the best!!!

Taibade, I promise, when you get back, I will make you those brownies for beta reading. -

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**Lightening McQueen:** "Mack, Mack! Wait up!! (coughs) Mack! (pulls up beside a semi) What? You're not Mack!" 

**Semi:** "Mack!? I ain't no Mack! I'm a Peterbilt for dang sake! Turn on your lights, you moron!!!" (drives off)

**_--_**quote from "Cars"

_**A/N:**_ That quote was just begging to be used.

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**Chapter Four**: Base Sweet Base 

Only a minute left...

Sam Whitwicky tapped his pencil impatiently on his desk, unable to sit still any longer. His teacher glared at him over his glasses, and Sam stopped tapping his pencil. Instead, he started bouncing his foot up and down, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Sam, stop tapping your foot," Mikaela said, her voice barely above a whisper. Sam pulled his eyes away from the clock and glanced at Mikaela. He still couldn't believe that Mikaela was his girlfriend. Two weeks ago, he would have bet his car that she would never hang out with a guy like him, let alone date him.

The bell rang out, accompanied by whoops and cheers from almost every student as they made their way outside. It was finally summer vacation. Sam practically flew out the door, Mikaela struggling to catch up with him through the swelling crowd of teenagers. He made his way outside and stopped dead, right in front of his parking spot.

"Sam, what's the rush?" Mikaela asked as she walked up from behind him, causing him to jump slightly.

"He's gone again!" Sam answered angrily, pulling on his hair. Mikaela moved past him and saw why Sam was so furious. His car, a brand-new, bright yellow Camero with black racing stripes was missing from Sam's parking spot.

"Sam, he probably had a good reason for leaving," Mikaela answered softly, attempting to cool his rage. She gripped his elbow gently and felt his muscles relax at her touch. He smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just worried that he's gonna get pulled over for speeding or something. How am I going to explain to my parents that I got a ticket when I wasn't even driving my car?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure Bumblebee can find a way out of a speeding ticket, and besides," Mikaela added laughing, "I don't think there is any cop that can catch Bumblebee if he ever decided to outrun them."

Sam laughed with her. She was right, he was worrying too much. He looked around, making sure that no one was paying attention before he acted. Slowly, he reached up and gently stroked her face, his hand playing with her long, brown hair. Mikaela looked at him, apparently enjoying the sensation. Sam pulled her closer, and she complied, their lips almost touching, only inches away...

A loud car horn sounded right behind Sam and Mikaela, who both jumped nervously and pulled apart. Sam spun around to see what jerk had decided to ruin their moment when he groaned. There sitting on the side of the street was his car, engine rumbling happily, apparently pleased. Sam strolled over to the Camero and banged his fist against the roof.

"Bee, c'mon man, that's not funny." As if in response, the car revved its engine, apparently laughing at Sam. Sam opened the driver door and threw his backpack in the back seat and climbed in. Mikaela got in as well, and the car took off, expertly weaving in and out of slow moving cars.

"So, what's so important that we had to come as soon as we got off school?" Sam asked as he stretched his legs comfortably in the car, crossing his hands behind his head.

"You'll see," Bumblebee's newly repaired voice spoke through the radio. Sam swore that if Bumblebee had been in his true form, his face would've had a smug grin on it, or as close to a grin as an Autobot could get.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bumblebee drove for about half an hour until he reached what looked like an old, abandoned military base.

"Here we are," Bumblebee's metallic voice announced through the radio. Sam and Mikaela picked up their backpacks and stepped out into the hot sun. They walked a few feet from Bumblebee, giving him room to shift from his alt mode into his true form. Fascinated, they watched as the car started to shift, parts rearranging and then folding in on themselves, metal screeching as it rubbed against each other until Bumblebee stood over them, the sunlight glinting off his yellow metal armor.

"I don't care how many times I'll see that, it will still be cool," Sam spoke softly, awed by Bumblebee's shift. His bright blue optics shone brightly even against the bright desert sunlight.

"This way," he said, waving his hand in a sort of "come on, this way" motion. Mikaela and Sam jogged to keep up with Bumblebee's massive steps. They came up to a set of giant metal doors, apparently locked tight. Bumblebee placed his hand on the wall, and a panel opened up, displaying some sort of keypad. He quickly punched in the code, clearly wanting to show them whatever was inside. The keypad beeped once and then disappeared back into the wall. One of the doors opened with a loud hiss, and Bumblebee opened it wider to allow them all to walk in comfortably. Sam and Mikaela rushed in, wanting to get out of the heat. He shut the door as soon as they had entered and stepped forward.

Sam and Mikaela stood there for a few moments, awestruck, their mouths wide open. Sam was the first to react, and he let out a long, loud whistle.

"Bee, this is...this is...wow, I don't—" he sputtered, trying to think of the right word fit to describe it.

"Amazing," Mikaela finished for him, her eyes dancing across the room, taking in everything at once.

The military base had originally been used as a testing facility for new vehicles and aircraft. The layout of the inside had been designed to hold multiples modes of transportation and more than enough space to run tests and repairs. It had probably taken the government years to build the facility to the codes and standards of regulation, but the Autobots had almost completely changed it into a suitable base in less than a fortnight. The room they had walked into looked like the main room, with a giant computer taking up the entire right side of the building, the monitor blank at the moment.

As Sam and Mikaela looked around, they noticed other doors around the main room, probably leading to different parts of the base.

"So, I guess you're going to be our tour guide, eh, Bee?" Sam suggested hopefully.

"Yes, I am sure Optimus and the others wouldn't mind if I showed you, as you humans say, 'our crib'." Mikaela started giggling loudly, her whole body shaking in laughter.

"What? I don't understand," Bee asked Sam, sounding hurt. "Did I not use the correct term?"

"No, Bee, it's okay, it's just, from now on, never use the word 'crib' in any sense." Sam assured Bumblebee as Mikaela continued laughing

"I understand," Bee said, still a little confused as to what Mikaela found so amusing.

One of the doors leading further into the base opened, and a large black and silver Autobot walked in, his gears whirring angrily. He stood a good twelve feet taller than Bumblebee, and one of his arms was sporting a large dent.

"Hey, Ironhide, how's it going?" Sam greeted the Autobot cheerfully.

Ironhide looked up from his arm and gruffly replied, "Hello, Sam, Mikaela. I assume Bumblebee is showing you the base, am I correct?"

"Yes," Mikaela spoke, finally having stopped laughing. "We both think it's wonderful."

"I agree, it will suffice," Ironhide replied shortly. He turned to look at Bumblebee and said, "I highly advise that you wait to show Sam and Mikaela the medbay: Ratchet's in one of his moods right now. He threw a large arc-wielder at me when I asked him to inspect one of my plasma cannons."

It took all of Sam's restraint to not laugh as Ironhide left, muttering something about "shooting range".

"Hello Sam and Mikaela, it is good to see you again," a deep voice boomed, causing Sam and Mikaela to jump. They turned to see the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, walking in from yet another door. His red and blue armored body towered over them, even making Bumblebee seem small in comparison. Optimus looked at them, his blue optics full of trust and concern. He smiled at them as Sam and Mikaela gazed up at him. They had forgotten just how big Optimus was, and his engines hummed loudly as he chuckled at their reaction.

"Uh, hello Optimus, sir," Sam answered awkwardly, still not used to the Optimus' sheer size. Thankfully, the base's ceilings were high enough that Optimus could walk around comfortably. "So, uh, have you guys finished redecorating the base?"

"Nearly," Optimus replied, sounding somewhat exhausted. "Ratchet is very determined to see the medbay fully operational by sundown for some reason."

"Sir, if it is possible, may I show Sam and Mikaela the base now?" Bumblebee asked, his optics open wide in anticipation.

"You may proceed, Bumblebee, but please refrain from showing them the medbay or the sparring arena. I am most certain that Ironhide is testing out the new training targets," Optimus said with a small smile. Bumblebee nodded in understanding and gently nudged Sam and Mikaela towards the door farthest to the left on the back wall. Optimus watched them leave through the door. His Spark was overjoyed at seeing Bumblebee happy once again, more so than he had been in many orns. Optimus turned and walked through a different door, heading for the medbay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The CMO stood in the medbay, his coolant systems working at full capacity. Ironhide had been bothering him constantly about one thing after another, and he had almost offlined him the last time when he had been complaining about his plasma cannons not functioning properly.

The new medbay was quite large, even by Autobot standards. The recovery room was large enough to hold six recovering mechs, and the operating room had two large tables that were large enough to hold even Optimus, with enough spare room for him and other mechs to move around comfortably. All of his tools were stored in this room as well, and his private office was connected directly to the medbay.

_Thank Primus this is larger than the one on the Ark. If the twins actually make it here..._., his frame shuddered angrily, remembering the multiple occasions of the old medbay being over-crowded from some of the twins' more memorable pranks, most of the time either one or both of them recovering as well as their intended victims.

He picked up a scanner and headed for his workroom, which was accessible only through his private quarters. The door opened with a slight hiss as the overhead lights came on automatically. His optics dimmed slightly as he stared at the large, metal body that was lying silently, unmoving on the table. Sighing, he moved closer to the table, examining all the work he had done. He had spent almost every spare breem he had working on the repairs, but the damage had been so extensive that it would probably be another orn before they would be complete. Starting at the feet, he slowly moved the scanner up the empty metal shell, hoping that he was at least halfway finished.

The scanner whirred almost silently as it calculated the repairs, and it beeped once when it was finished. Ratchet read the report, his engine whirring almost wearily, as if he was sighing. The arm and leg had been repaired and reattached perfectly, yet there were still a few loose wires on the other leg. Most of the dents, holes and scratches had been fixed and the metal shone a brilliant silver color. The only things that remained were to reattach the lower and upper body parts and to replace all of the wires surrounding the Spark casing, which was delicate work even when the Autobot was permanently offline.

Ratchet moved away from the table and set his scanner down on the nearby workbench. He started rummaging through the many drawers, pulling out tangled messes of wires, various tools and setting them on the table. His sound receptors heard the sound of the doors to the medbay open as someone entered. Instinctively, he reached for the nearest tool and spun around, throwing it and yelling, "Slaggit, 'Hide, if your armor is too dense for your processor to—" he stopped mid-sentence, shocked at who he had hit.

"Well," Optimus said from behind his mouth guard, the laughter apparent in his voice. "I see that your aim is as good as ever." He reached up and ran his index finger along the newly formed groove just above his right optic.

Ratchet didn't reply; instead, he became very interested in rearranging his medical supplies. Optimus walked over to table where Jazz's body lay. He gazed down somberly at his fallen lieutenant, his optics full of sadness and guilt. _If only I had arrived sooner, you may still be alive, old friend. _Ratchet came to stand next to Optimus, both mechs just standing and staring silently.

"How much longer until the repairs are finished?" Optimus spoke, breaking the silence that hung so heavily in the air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bee, this is about the coolest base I have ever seen," Sam said as they walked out of Bumblebee's private quarters.

"Sam, this is the only giant robot base you have ever seen," Mikaela said, laughing.

"And hopefully ever will," Sam responded as they followed Bumblebee down the large hallway. Thankfully, Bumblebee had the entire facility memorized, because Sam and Mikaela were lost almost as soon as they had started the tour.

"Bee, you need to put some signs up for us, saying 'Exit this way' or something. I mean, I'm totally lost," Sam explained as they started to head back the way they had come.

"Why? Could you not just ask one of us?" Bumblebee asked curiously. "Everyone knows this base inside and out," then added suspiciously, "some better than others." Sam and Mikaela looked up at Bumblebee at this last statement. His optics seemed to glow mischievously for a moment, but then returned to normal.

"We could, but seriously, what if everyone's sleeping and I need to go to the bathroom? I didn't see any human-sized toilets anywhere."

"Don't worry about that Sam," Bee chuckled as he imagined Sam getting lost in the middle of the night. "We have made special accommodations for you and Mikaela, as well as Sergeant Lennox and the others." As he finished this statement, he pushed open a large door and headed inside.

Sam and Mikaela had walked into what looked like an old break room, complete with couches, chairs, refrigerator, table and chairs, stove and a flat-screen T.V. It was large enough to even hold a few Autobot sized chairs. One door lead to a large bathroom, complete with enough toilets and showers to house a family of six. The other two doors each contained a large bedroom with two bunk beds and two regular beds, one room for males and one for females.

"Man, I could get used to living out here," Sam said as he reclined on one of the brown sofas.

"So, do you like it?" Bumblebee asked as he sat down on one of the giant chairs.

Sam and Mikaela grinned widely as the small Autobot looked at them apprehensively, as if waiting for their approval.

"Bee, this is the best."

They almost laughed as the yellow Autobot relaxed, his gears whirring gently.

_Thank Primus I convinced Optimus that we needed a living quarters for the humans._ Bumblebee thought gladly. _And Primus knows that we don't need another 'spare' weapons closet._ Bumblebee closed his optics, settling for a small recharge.

Mikaela waved her hand in front of Bumblebee, making sure he was asleep. When he didn't react, she settled down on the sofa next to Sam, watching his chest rise and fall with each intake.

She turned to Sam and said "So, do you think that more Autobots will arrive?" she asked.

"Let's hope so," Sam replied seriously. "I don't think I can handle any more Decepticons for the rest of my life."

"Me either." Mikaela leaned closer to Sam, her fingers teasingly running up and down his arm. "Now, where we were before Bumblebee so _rudely_ interrupted us..."

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Hmm, I wonder what Sam and Mikaela will do with their free time...

Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait (crosses fingers)! I promise that five and six will follow shortly.

Please read and review!!!! Pretty please with cherries on top!!!??????

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	5. Back and Forth and Back Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. There, short, simple, sweet and to the point.

A/N: Okay, I know I said I wouldn't review this early, but after I talked with a couple of my awesome reviewers, I decided to be nice and update today. So, this is a present for you.

Okay, thanks to Taibade for reviewing. And thanks to everyone who reviewed so quickly. I would send you some cookies, but ah, ever since that last time, my old computer still hasn't recovered. LOL

A special batch of cookies for the first reviewer who can correctly guess where I got the name for Agent number 1. He didn't have a specific name in the movie (Arwin from Suite Life), so I decided to give him one.

Enjoy!!

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**Powell**[_referring to the underground staircase_ How do a bunch of people with hand tools build all this?  
**Ben Gates**: The same way the built the pyramids, and the Great Wall of China.  
**Riley Poole**: Yeah... the aliens helped them. 

_--"National Treasure"_

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**Chapter 5**: Back and Forth and Back Again 

It was nearly three in the afternoon before Cassie made it home. Thankfully, it hadn't rained on her long drive back home, but she could hear the distant rumbling getting closer and closer.

"Well, at least I can sleep well tonight," Cassie said, parking her small car behind the house. She quickly ran inside and locked the door behind her out of habit. She dropped her keys on the glass coffee table and headed for the kitchen, a sudden urge for chocolate milk overwhelming her. Cassie returned a few moments later with a small milk moustache and a half empty bottle.

Cassie gently sank onto the oversized blue couch, which was large enough to fit her entire family comfortably. She turned the TV on, not caring what she watched. She flipped through channel after channel, completely bored beyond measure. Cassie had almost turned it off in frustration when a local news report caught her eye.

"...local meteorologists are baffled by the appearance of an unusual meteor that was sighted last night near Steelville." The camera cut to a short video clip, obviously taken by an avid viewer. The picture was shaking badly, giving Cassie a headache just watching it. The camera suddenly jerked skyward, and Cassie caught a brief glimpse of something bright blue streaking across the sky rapidly and disappearing out of sight within seconds.

_That's weird_, Cassie thought. _Shooting stars are usually white_. Cassie continued watching, her total attention on the report.

"Scientists say that there is nothing to worry about. They have assured us that the meteor was too small to have landed on Earth and most likely burned up upon entering the atmosphere." The reporter shuffled her papers and continued. "And now, we turn to our special report..." Cassie shut off the TV.

Cassie drained the rest of the chocolate milk and headed for her room. Her feet dragged as she walked up the steps, her energy completely gone for some odd reason.

_I'm just tired,_ she told herself as she slumped onto her desk chair. _Stupid dreams..._Cassie turned her computer on and started working on an email for her family. They were still traveling, but she thought it would be a nice surprise for them when they landed.

Her fingers typed furiously, hitting the keyboard with more force than necessary. Her eyes drooped as she filled more and more lines with words of "I miss you", "Have a good time", "Don't eat any bouillabaisse". She could barely keep her eyes open as she finished the letter.

_I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes, that's all I need..._she thought sleepily as she crossed her arms and rested them on the desk. Her head fell gently onto them, and within moments she had fallen asleep, sighing contentedly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Boring. Completely bored out of my mind_.

That was the only word he could think of to describe his current position. He had been sitting behind a desk all day long, his neck and back sore from the uncomfortable chair he had been forced to take. He stretched his arms, trying to relieve some of the tension he could feel building up in his muscles. He was used to moving around, walking for most of the day, talking and ordering people around. Now, after recent events, he had been unceremoniously dumped into this eight to five job, which was a total waste of his talents and capabilities.

He chewed on his pencil, deep in thought. It had only been less than two weeks ago that he was part of a secret organization that only the President knew about. No one else knew they even existed, which was vital to their research. The less who knew about **it**, the better. His job had been so much more enjoyable; well, almost.

He, his entire team and even their entire organization had been completely decimated by two teenagers and a group of alien robots who called themselves "Autobots" or something along those lines. It didn't matter to him; all he cared about was keeping his job. However, due to events beyond his control, the N.B.E they had been studying had suddenly come alive and was hell-bent on destroying everything. The other N.B.E's had stopped him by using the Cube, another object important to their secret organization.

After the battle, Defense Secretary Keller had terminated their operations and shut down their facility in the Hoover Dam.

After all of this, and he hadn't even been allowed to work for the government. Only his team leader had been given that opportunity. Everyone else was forced to find their own work and cope with it. He sighed wearily as he gently rubbed his eyes, sore from staring at a computer screen for 4 hours straight. He scanned the latest news, skipping over the latest scandals of some big shot celebrity, tips on how to manage stress and work ethics of billionaires.

He stopped for a moment on a picture of what looked like a shooting star with the headline:

"Noisy Shooting Star Baffles Locals."

He quickly clicked on the link and read the article aloud to himself, skimming over the unimportant details.

"Shooting star seen across Midwest...disappeared...mysterious noise...blue light..."

He was intrigued by the article and quickly found another link to the actual video. He opened it up and listened intently.

It was brief, but he could just make out an eerie, slightly screeching sound as the star passed in and out of view. He listened to the sound over and over until he had it memorized. What was that sound? It sounded so familiar to him, slightly metallic. He racked his brain, trying to recall what had made that sound.

Without warning, he quickly copied the video to a spare jump drive he had, shut off his computer and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going, Stevens?" his boss yelled at him as he opened the door.

"Sorry, Mr. Dean, but I'm not feeling well and I need to have the rest of the day off," he lied.

"Don't let it happen again," Mr. Dean growled as he headed back into his office.

"Yes, sir, I understand," Stevens replied as he slammed the door behind him and practically flew down the steps.

_There is no way that they got here that fast,_ he thought as he quickly walked down the hallway, bumping into several people as he headed for his car, not stopping to apologize _Or could they?_ It was possible, with the small amount of data they had collected on N.B.E. 1, space travel for **them** was probably a simple matter...

He spotted his car, a small, green Malibu, sitting in the hot sun. A pink slip of paper was attached to his windshield, and he cursed loudly when he saw that it was a ticket for parking in a restricted zone. He unlocked his car, got in and then relocked it. He crumpled up the ticket and threw into his glove box. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching him, and then quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, praying that they would answer.

It was answered almost immediately.

"Hello?" a deep, rough male voice responded.

"Hello, sir," he replied. "How are you doing?"

"Who is this?" the other man questioned angrily. "How did you get this number?"

"Sir, I apologize. This is Agent Stevens speaking."

"Who?"

"Agent Stevens, sir, from," Stevens hesitated, wondering if he was going to make the other man even angrier than he already sounded. "ah, from Sector Seven."

There was a slight pause before the other man responded.

"Sector Seven does not exist any longer," the man snapped, his voice rising. "I have had enough humiliation from everyone else and I don't need any from you."

"But sir..." Stevens pleaded, but was cut off before he could finish.

"I'm sorry, Agent Stevens, but I've moved on with my life and career, and I suggest that you do the same!"

Before the other man could hang up, Stevens took his chance and blurted out, "Sir, I've found a N.B.E.!"

The phone went silent. Agent Stevens looked to see if he had hung up, but amazingly, the line was still active.

"A N.B.E.?" the voice said quietly, sounding doubtful. "You're positive about this?"

"Yes, sir," Stevens replied, his hope rising with each passing second.

"Do you have any proof?" the man asked again.

"Yes I do. I have made a copy of the video and have it with me right now, sir."

Again, there was another long pause. Stevens waited this time, knowing that he had the man's full attention. When the man finally spoke, Stevens had to press tightly against his ear so he could listen.

"How soon can you meet me at the small café on 9th and 11th street?" the man asked in a hushed voice, apparently not wanting to be overhead.

"Whenever you can, sir."

"Good. Meet me there at 12:20."

"Affirmative, sir. I will be there in approximately ten minutes."

"Agent Simmons out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The café was tiny, almost invisible if you didn't know where it was. It blended so well with the bookstore next to it that many people thought it was part of the bookstore. Most would pass right by, not wanting to waste the few precious moments they had for a break to fully examine it.

However, today was an exception. A tall man with black hair dotted with flecks of gray walked purposely into the café, knowing that he was probably wasting his time. His crisp suit scratched uncomfortably against his slightly sweaty skin as he checked his watch. He could still beat the rush hour traffic if he rushed his meeting with Stevens. He opened the door and gratefully entered the cool room. He chose a small table by the back, away from the window. A red-haired waitress politely welcomed him and took his order, a small black coffee to go.

He drummed his fingers restlessly against the wooden table. Stevens said he would be here at 12:20, and it was 12:16 at the moment. Simmons had only agreed to come and meet Stevens here out of respect for his colleague. Stevens had been the only one who had supported his actions fully and hadn't wavered in the slightest when they had been faced with impending death.

The waitress returned a few moments later with a fresh, steaming cup of coffee. He thanked her and took a sip. He glanced at his watch again, his agitation clearly visible. A small bell tinkled at the entrance, and Simmons looked up to see Stevens rushing in, his laptop clutched firmly in his arms. Stevens quickly spotted Simmons and rushed over to join him.

"Sir, I'm sorry I'm-"

"Stop explaining," Stevens cut him off. "I don't want to know why. I just want to make sure that you've got solid proof of that N.B.E."

"Yes, sir, just a moment," he sputtered as he set up his laptop. He pulled out a small jump drive and quickly uploaded the video. Simmons watched the brief footage. His doubt changed to belief rapidly as he heard the noise that had frightened Stevens so much.

"Play it again," he ordered impatiently.

Stevens obeyed. Simmons smiled slightly as he watched the video, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"Sir, what should we do? I don't think the government—"

"No. The government doesn't need to know about this. For all they know, it was just some odd meteor. No, we need to keep this to ourselves." He stroked his chin thoughtfully a plan, already forming in oversized head.

"Are you still in contact with the other former members of Sector Seven?" Simmons asked him curiously

"Yes, sir, we keep in touch." Stevens replied uncertainly. He didn't understand why Simmons wanted to know that, but didn't say anything.

"Good. I want you to contact all of them and have them meet here at exactly one half hour. I'll explain everything there." He handed Stevens a slip of paper with an address on it. Stevens took it and asked, "Sir, you still have access to military facilities?"

"Of course, and besides, this particular facility hasn't been used in years, I'm sure that those idiots in the government won't realize what we're doing."

Stevens smiled. Agent Simmons was a brilliant man.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

BOOOOOOOM

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Cassie screamed as she fell off her chair, hitting the carpet face first. She laid there, her nose filling up with numerous dust bunnies every time she inhaled. She glanced at her watch. It read 6:50. _Why now?_ she whined. _Why couldn't it wait another hour or so?_

"Ugghhh, not now," she muttered into the carpet.

BOOOOOOOOM

The lights in her room momentarily flickered as the thunder reverberated outside, the windows shaking slightly in their frames. Cassie pushed herself up and quickly wiped off any of the dust that still clung to her jeans. She grumbled slightly as she walked over to her window and stood there, watching the numerous trees swaying in the wind from the approaching storm. She looked down to check that her window was firmly shut when she noticed her car, which was parked in the backyard.

With the windows rolled down.

"Oh, shit!" she yelled as she threw open her door and flew down the steps, taking them two at a time. She jumped the last four and quickly ran to the closet and grabbed the closest jacket. It was a large grey hooded jacket, the same one her mom wore during the fall. Cassie didn't care what she wore, she just need something that would keep her dry for a short period. She pulled on her old sneakers, pulled the hood up, grabbed her keys and headed through kitchen to the backyard.

She opened the back and headed outside. Thankfully, it hadn't started raining hard yet, but it was showering slightly. She quickly unlocked her car and climbed in, her jacket barely wet. She rolled up the windows in a matter of seconds and made her way to the back door. Cassie stopped under the large awning and took off her jacket, glad that she hadn't done any permanent damage to the car.

The rain was falling steadily now, splashing loudly against the metal awning. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the familiar scent of an early summer rain. She didn't know why she enjoyed the rain so much; she just did. It seemed to spread a feeling of ease and tranquility over her entire body, refreshing her very being. Cassie leaned against the door and closed her eyes, letting the natural symphony of the raindrops flood her mind. She smiled softly as it calmed her, a melody that only nature could produce, erratic but beautiful at the same time. As she listened, she noticed another sound, a voice, interrupting the music. She opened her eyes and looked around.

She heard the voice again, this time louder.

'_Help...me...'_ it called out weakly.

"Hello?" Cassie said uncertainly, unsure if she was just imagining the voice. "Hello?"

No response. She felt for the doorknob, her heartbeat speeding up. Then she heard it again.

'_Help...'_

"Hello?" Cassie asked again, her fear being replaced by worry. She moved to the edge of the awning, scanning the whole yard for the source of the disembodied voice. Her eyes fell on the line of trees that marked the beginning of the small forest behind her house, and she saw a soft, blue light shining weakly through the trees.

Cassie stared at the light, unmoving. She couldn't decide if she should attempt to find the person since she knew the forest very well, or if she should call the police and let them take care of it.

_Oh, yeah, Cassie, that would be a wonderful idea. 'Hello officer, I heard a voice in my backyard and I saw a weird blue light shining through the trees. I think that someone is in trouble.' Then they'll come and take you to the mental hospital for "hearing voices". That would be such a pleasant experience, wouldn't it?_ she thought sarcastically.

_Some little kid probably got lost; I guess I better find them before they get freeze to death._ Cassie pulled up her hood and sprinted the short distance between the awning and the start of the forest. When she stood safely under a tree, she saw the blue light flicker for a few moments before it returned to shine steadily, but noticeably dimmer. Cassie didn't hesitate as she made her way deeper into the thick forest, disappearing from view completely.

* * *

Okay, there you go!! Are you happy now?? 

Next chapter will have a little of everything. Look forward to it.

Please read and review!!!!! I really appreciate all of you who have. The more reviews, the merrier

**Bouillabaise:**is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille.Bouillabaisse is usually a fish stock containing different kinds of cooked fish and shellfish. These are complemented with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, bay leaf, fennel and saffron.

**---Note: **this definition is for all of those who didn't know what bouillabaise was. No, I promise that wasn't a typo. I've actually had some bouillabaise, my French teacher made it for us, and it wasn't really bad. Cassie just doesn't like it, and she thought it would be rude if I didn't tell all of you about it.


	6. Chain Reaction

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers or any products mentioned in this story. Really now, wouldn't you all read it the first time and get the same message throughout?

**A/N: **Yayy, another chapter for all of my loving reviewers. I got so many comments and faves from the last chapter that I've actually written down on paper the next three chapters. I just get so inspired when I know people want more. Sadly, the next update might be a little longer. Taibade and I have a lot of homework (curse you, college!) and so betaing is difficult for her to do on a regular basis. Luckily, my other best friend, Atheryne (this is her dA name, the only one I think she would let me use) has also kindly agreed to help beta read my chapters. Thanks a bunch!

Thanks to all the reviewers for the last two chapters!!!

--The winner of the "Guess this name contest" from last chapter was Zexion666 for guessing correctly that Stevens name came from the show Shia LaBoeuf first appeared on, which was "Even Stevens". dodges rotten fruit Hey, I'm sorry I'm not that imaginative when it comes to names, sheesh. I wish I could send you the promised cookies, Zexion666, but my brother "accidentally" took them to a friend's Birthday party. Grrrrrrrr...Sorry!

Well, I hope the cliffhanger from the last chapter gets resolved here. Or maybe not... Enjoy!!

* * *

"Figuratively speaking, any group of events linked so that one is the cause of the next can be called a 'chain reaction.' "

-**American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition**

**A/N:** Okay, I know this isn't a quote, but I liked this definition, so there. XP

* * *

**Chapter 6:** **Chain Reaction**

_This is ridiculous, _Cassie moaned miserably a few minutes later as her sneaker squelched noisily in the soft earth, covering her entire foot with mud. She had tried to stay as dry as possible by staying under the tree braches, but the leaves did little to shelter her from the heavy rainfall. Her jeans were soaked from the knee down, her socks felt like wet sponges and her short hair was plastered uncomfortably to her face. Her body shivered slightly as she leaned against a tall oak. Cassie rubbed her hands together and blew into them, trying to warm up a little.

"Hello?" she shouted hoarsely for what felt like the fiftieth time. She still couldn't see or hear anyone, but the light she had been using as a guide was becoming brighter and brighter as she edged her way deeper into the woods.

_Help me...please..._, the voice seemed to explode from everywhere at once, causing Cassie to spin around. She didn't hear it again, but from the sound of it, whoever was calling out for help was close by. She ran from tree to tree, hoping that the leaves would prevent most of the rain from falling on her. She stopped behind a large cedar tree and waited to hear the voice, but was disappointed when no one called out for help. Slowly, Cassie peered curiously around the tree trunk and into the clearing.

It was a small clearing, not very big. Cassie had come here often when she was younger. It was the best place to hide from an angry Melissa, especially that one time when Cassie had given Melissa's favorite doll to their old dog as a chew toy.

What Cassie saw on the wet grass was amazing. Right in the middle of the clearing, there was a small crater, and by the look of things, it wasn't very old. It seemed to be very shallow, only about 5 inches deep from what she could tell. But it wasn't the crater that caused Cassie to stare. It was the object sitting in the middle of the crater that left her speechless and dumbfounded.

It was bright blue, brighter than any blue she had ever seen. It wasn't large, only about the size of a regular basketball. Small tendrils of blue and white light snaked off of the surface, like little bolts of electricity. The surface of the blue orb moved and swirled endlessly, lines emerging, merging together and then disappearing, only to be replaced by more lines. Cassie moved closer to the orb, completely oblivious to the rain that was coming down even harder. She knelt down close near it, her knees sinking a few inches into the mud.

"It's...so...beautiful," Cassie whispered aloud, not really knowing exactly what it was. Cassie carefully reached out with her right hand, wanting to touch the orb in her trance-like state. The blue orb was emitting a soft, gentle heat, warm and inviting. Her fingers had almost touched the ever-shifting surface when a loud crack of thunder ripped through the sky, jolting Cassie out of the trance.

"What the hell am I doing?" she shouted wildly as she jerked her hands away, as if the orb had shocked her.

_Okay, Cassie think rationally_, she mused. _I have no idea what this thing is. For all I know, it could be some alien parasite that will enslave me and the rest of the human race if I touch it._

Cassie sat completely still for a moment, dumbfounded by her own brain. She lightly slapped her left cheek, making sure she wasn't dreaming again. Her cheek stung where she had hit it.

_Okay, that was not rational, Cassie. For one, aliens only exit in __movies__ and books, and secondly..._

She noticed, interrupting her thoughts, that the moment she had pulled her hand away from the orb, it had suddenly dimmed. The small arcs of light had vanished completely, and the shifting surface was rapidly becoming blurry, almost as if it was vanishing into the air. Giving in to temptation, Cassie carefully inched her hand closer again. The orb continued to look less and less solid and more like a hologram she had seen in movies every second. She hesitated once again, her fingertips barely millimeters away.

"Well, here goes everything," Cassie prayed as she forced her fingers to touch the surface of the sphere. She kept her fingers firmly against its surface, expecting some horrible alien mouth to bite it off.

Nothing happened.

When Cassie checked to make sure all of her vital organs were still functioning properly and her brain was still hers, she turned her attention back to the blue orb. She was amazed at how odd it felt against her touch. It was strange to describe; the surface made the sphere look solid, but against her sensitive skin, she could tell that it was not solid, but neither was it a gas. It seemed to hover between those two states, and it felt as though there was an energy flowing restlessly inside.

Bravely, Cassie placed her entire hand upon it, marveling at the strange heat that seemed to emanate from the orb and spread throughout her body, warming her from head to toe. As she continued to stare at it, she noticed that the orb was returning to its original brightness, almost hurting her eyes. The little sparks of light reappeared as well, and they seem attracted to her hand. They swirled and coiled around every part of her hand, barely grazing her skin. Unafraid, Cassie put her other hand against the strange blue orb and saw that the small arcs of light danced around it as well.

_Oooookay, apparently, it's not dangerous, but..._, Cassie lifted the orb out of the mud, gripping the edges gently, not paying attention to the fact that no mud clung to the bottom. She held it securely in her hands like it was a delicate glass figurine. It was surprisingly light for something that looked like it should have weighed more. Cassie held it over her head, looking for some type of identification or label that told her what it was. It had none.

She slowly lowered her arms and carefully placed it closer to her chest, trying to keep it dry from the rain, like a protective mother shielding her offspring. She sat there, unsure of what she should do next.

"Well," she said aloud, speaking to the blue orb, "seeing as you're not dangerous, I guess I could take you home; my little sister Rebecca needed a new nightlight, and—"

Cassie was abruptly cut off as she was thrown backwards by some unseen force, slamming into a nearby weeping willow. White spots danced in front of her vision as she fought to stay conscious. Her legs attempted to keep her standing, but they gave in as she weakly slid to the ground, still cradling the blue orb in her arms.

_That...hurt..._she thought weakly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The trees watched the girl fall to the ground, heard her groan, saw her hands clinging protectively around the fragile life. She stirred for a moment, her legs twitching slightly before she became completely still.

The orb was shining brightly again, even brighter than when it had first landed in the forest. They watched in silence, waiting. The rain stopped and the clouds moved on, letting the stars shine through.

Slowly, the orb's surface started to swirl more and more violently as it pressed against the young girl's chest. The small arcs of light started sparking more frequently, the sparks jumping from the glowing orb and into her body. Within a few moments, the orb disappeared completely into the unconscious girl. Her entire body shimmered with a light blue aura briefly before it vanished entirely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The same stars that watched Cassandra slip to the ground unconscious winked off and on cheerfully down at Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader stood alone outside the newly built base, his hands behind his back, gazing silently back at the stars.

He had sent out a message to all the Autobots almost two weeks ago, but he still hadn't received any type of response from any of his fellow Autobot soldiers. It was highly likely that they had received the message and were on their way right now. It worried him, though, that not one of them had responded.

His engines whirred softly, emitting the closest thing to a human sigh he could produce. As he stood there, his thoughts drifted back to the battle at Mission City. He had blamed himself for Jazz's stasis, knowing that he was the only one out of their small battalion that had even a chance against Megatron. If only he had arrived sooner...

_Jazz, old friend, can you forgive me?_ He sighed again. Jazz wouldn't want him sulking over his death. Jazz had known better than anyone the chances they were taking, but he hadn't seemed worried. Optimus smiled as he remembered how easily Jazz had assimilated into Earth's culture.

Optimus turned and headed inside, grateful that Ratchet had finally installed the Energon distributor and it was fully functional. Energon was, in simplest terms, pure energy. The more concentrated the energy in the pinkish liquid, the more potent the Energon. It was quite a sight to see a young Autobot overenergized on a small container of High Grade Energon.

He drank his Energon in silence, his mind thinking about their new allies, Sam Whitwicky and Mikaela Banes. Sam and Mikaela had been present at the battle, and it was due to Sam's courage that Megatron was destroyed, but the price had been heavy. It had cost the Autobots the Allspark, the one thing that could have restored life to Cybertron. For now, they had settled on Earth, and were waiting, hoping that more of the Autobots would arrive soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sir, we have a problem," Agent David exclaimed, waving Agent Simmons over to his console. He pointed at the computer screen. Agent Simmons stood behind David, his face lined with tiredness.

"What is it?" he asked angrily.

"Sir, I've been tracking the same signal that Agent Stevens found. It has been stationary in Steelville, Indiana for the past three hours, but now it's just...disappeared."

"What do you mean? Just disappeared? How can it just vanish into thin air?"

"I don't know, sir, it just disappeared," he sounded even more confused than Simmons.

Simmons raked his hands through his hair. They had been trying to locate the unidentified N.B.E's signal for the past three hours, and just when they had finally gotten a definitive location, the signal disappears without a trace, gone from their scanner completely.

"Fine. Here's what we'll do," he explained. "Agent Stevens and I, along with four other agents, will go to the signal's last known location and start our search there. If we find anything, we'll let you know. If the signal somehow reappears, I want you to call us immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"I also want you to move to our second location and start setting up the equipment in the event that we do find the N.B.E."

"Affirmative. Here are the coordinates of the signal's last known location," David handed Simmons a small G.P.S.

"Stevens, is our transport ready?" Simmons asked Stevens.

"Yes, the plane should be ready to leave as soon as we arrive." Stevens responded promptly. Simmons smiled as exited the small research facility.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Simmons and his team arrived at the small, private airport in less than twenty minutes. Simmons had to pull quite a few strings to get a plane on such short notice. It didn't matter though; once he had that N.B.E, he would make headlines, no more embarrassment, no more humiliation...

"Sir," Stevens interrupted Simmons' thoughts as he sat down in the seat next to him. "We should be taking off in less than ten minutes, putting our arrival time in Indianapolis at 12:45 Eastern time. From there, it should be a twenty minute drive to our hotel for the night. I suggest we start our search early tomorrow morning."

"Excellent work, Stevens," Simmons praised. "If this search goes as planned we may very well have that damned N.B.E caught and ready for shipment by this time tomorrow."

"Sir, I have a concern that I think you should hear." Stevens said, carefully choosing his words.

"And what would that be?"

"Sir, what if the N.B.E already knows about the...others?"

"Stevens, I'm fully aware that this new N.B.E already knows that the others are here. The only thing we need to do is capture it before it can signal the others of its arrival." Simmons explained calmly, as though they were deciding what to eat for dinner.

"But sir," Stevens urged impatiently. "How do you know that the other N.B.Es don't already know of its arrival?"

"We don't, so that's why we need to act fast."

Simmons smiled as he reclined in his seat and shut his eyes, enjoying the nice cushioning against his back. His plan was foolproof, so long as those N.B.Es didn't realize what had happened before they finished the retrieval. He relaxed his legs, easing all the muscles in his sore body. The entire plane vibrated loudly as it took off.

Foolproof.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam leaned back into the computer chair, cracking his knuckles. They had come back for a quick break because Sam's parents had made dinner plans, completely forgetting that Sam said he would be gone for the weekend. So, he was stuck at home for the rest of the night with Mojo, who hadn't been the same ever since Ironhide almost tried to blast him for "leaking lubricants" on his foot. Sam wasn't really focused on what websites he was visiting; he just wanted something to keep him busy. His finger fumbled over the keyboard, typing in random sites that he hadn't visited in months.

"Huh, what's this?" he said aloud to Mojo, who was resting comfortably on Sam's bed. He had found a video entitled "Noisy Star" and clicked on it, wanting some action. He watched what he assumed was a shooting star streak across the sky. There was some sort of weird noise that went on throughout the entire video.

"Probably just some static noise or something," he voiced. "And that looks like some cheap firework or something." He quickly left the website and turned off his computer.

"Mojo, this is your bed," he said, pointing to a small, padded wicker basket, "and this is my bed." He pointed at his own bed. "Yours. Mine. Yours. Mine. Got it?"

Mojo whined noisily and started barking.

"Okay, okay, just don't ruin the sheets like last time!" Sam said, covering his ears.

* * *

And the plot thickens... XD 

Please, **when** you review this chapter, let me know what you liked. I really appreciate all the reviews and stuff, but the same "This was great, update soon . " does tend to get a little old.

I'm not saying I don't like reviews, don't get me wrong. It just I like to hear what was your favorite part, what tickled your funny bone, what made you burst into tears, or what parts just left you begging for more!!!!

As always, please read and review. Thanks!!!

**Note:** No actual dolls were harmed in the inspiration of this story. (Okay, not really, but that was a long time ago, and besides, she had pulled the head off my doll first...)


	7. Unexpected

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own Transformers. I wish I did, but I didn't

Ha haa!! You all fell for it!!!

Okay, sorry. I was being a little facetious. I think I said I wouldn't update today, but then I decided to anyway. I'm still ahead of this story, around Chapter 9 or so. I was bored because Mythbusters was a rerun. TT-TT.

Anyway, once again, I'd liket to thank Atheryne from dA for helping with the beta. Taibade's really busy right now (more than I am) so I'm giving her a break. She deserves it! Thanks to all of you who faved and reviewed the last chapter. It's really weird, every time I get a review, I squeal like a

Hope you all enjoy!!

* * *

"Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day."

-- Ann Landers, _American Advice_ columnist, 1918-2002

* * *

**Chapter 7**: Unexpected

Cassie blearily opened one eye, wondering stupidly for a moment why she way lying under a tree, her left side completely covered in mud, in the middle of the forest. She pushed herself to a sitting position and sat there, her limbs shivering involuntarily. Even though it had stopped raining almost half an hour ago and a warm summer evening was clearly present in the air, Cassie's clothes were completely soaked, cold and uncomfortable.

"Gotta...get home...shower...hot," Cassie's teeth chattered noisily as she muttered incoherently. Cassie struggled to pull herself to a standing position, grasping the wet tree bark firmly, or as firmly as you can hold onto a damp tree. Her legs, the limp noodles that they were at the present moment, barely held her weight up. Cassie moved slowly, her head swimming with dizziness as she started making her way back to the house.

Before Cassie had made it ten steps, she remembered the shining blue ball. She glanced back and was greatly relieved to see that it had disappeared. Cassie continued her long walk back to the house, the thought of a nice, steaming hot shower her complete motivation.

As Cassie moved her tired limbs more, her body started to warm up slightly. Her drenched clothes, though, prevented her from warming up completely. She reached the backyard almost twenty minutes later, her shoes leaving muddy steaks on the tall grass. Cassie shut the back door tightly behind her, almost forgetting to take off her mud-caked shoes at the back door. She slipped her shoes off and squeaked noisily across the linoleum with her wet feet.

_Whoever invented the shower was a brilliant person_, Cassie thought as she turned the hot water, setting the water to just below boiling. As the steam slowly started to fill the bathroom, Cassie peeled off her wet clothes, letting each piece drop noisily onto the floor. She stepped into the running water, the pounding jet feeling so wonderful against her bare skin. Her sore muscles relished the sweet relief of the water. The heat seemed to seep down to her bones, sending her into a state of bliss. Cassie reached for a bar of soap.

_I probably look like a mud monster_, Cassie laughed to herself. She grabbed the soap and began vigorously scrubbing off the mud, her skin turning from the dark brown of the mud to the soft tan of her normal skin color. When the last trace of mud had washed down the drain, she turned her focus to her hair. It was a mess of leaves, twigs and mud. Cassie gently worked out the twigs and leaves, actually grateful for the first time that her hair was short. The mud was a little harder to remove, but after a couple cycles of "lather, rinse and repeat", her hair was completely mud-free.

Cassie stepped out of the shower, dripping wet but refreshed and relaxed. She reached for a towel and wrapped it around her damp skin, letting her hair drip wetly onto her bare shoulders before wrapping it into a towel as well. Cassie walked into her room, looking for her brush when she heard the annoying ring of her cell phone beep from underneath her comforter. Cassie quickly searched her bed until she found her phone, and answered it just before it went to voicemail.

"Hello? Cassandra speaking," she said into the receiver, trying to keep the loose strands of wet hair away from her phone.

"Hey, Cass, watcha doin'?" a high pitched, almost giggling voice echoed through the speaker.

"Oh, not much, just enjoying the weather, Sabriel," Cassie answered cheerfully, relieved to hear her best friend's voice.

"Enjoying this weather? Cass, you are so weird sometimes, I swear. And I've told you not to call me Sabriel like what, a million times?"

"I believe that this makes a million and five, by my count."

"Fine, whatever. For the last time, my name is Sable, not Sabriel, Sable. Say it with me Cass. Sable."

"Okay, Sable," Cassie replied. Sable squealed in delight at the other end. Cassie moved the phone away from her ear a few inches and waited for the squeals to die down.

"Well, anyway," Sable continued, "I wanted to know what time you wanted me to come over tomorrow and pick you up."

"I already told you I couldn't come over, Sable, don't you remember? We had this conversation yesterday," Cassie explained as she removed the towel from around her hair and started brushing it. "I promised my mom I would watch the house while she was gone. Did you even listen to our conversation yesterday?"

"Cassie, you're too nice for your own good," Sable answered, clearly not paying attention to Cassie's questions. "You know that, right? It's going to come back and bite you in the ass one of these days."

"When that day comes, Sable, I'll make sure you're the first one to know. As far as I can tell right now, though," Cassie chuckled as she viewed her backside in the mirror, "my ass is still in one piece." Cassie smiled as she heard Sable laugh on the other end.

"C'mon, Cass, just one weekend? Two and a half days is nothing. Please?" Sable pleaded.

Cassie was silent for a moment, weighing her options. She could go to Sable's house and have a good time with her best friend, but that would mean disobeying her mother's simple request. On the other hand, she could just tell Sable that she would spend a different weekend with her.

"Maybe," Cassie finally answered, giving herself more time to think about her final decision.

"So that's a yes?" Sable asked.

"No, that was a 'maybe', Sable. There is a difference between 'yes' and 'maybe'."

Sable paused for a moment.

"So, that's a yes?"

"I'm hanging up the phone now, Sable."

"Okay, okay! I'll see you tomorrow at 9," Sable answered cheerfully.

"Sable!" Cassie shouted into the phone, but a loud click told her that Sable had hung up. Cassie tossed the phone onto her bed and removed the towel from around her now dry skin. She pulled on a pair of comfortable running shorts and a T-shirt before heading downstairs.

Cassie's stomach rumbled uncomfortably as she walked into the kitchen. Besides the piece of toast for breakfast and the small sandwich she'd had at the airport, she hadn't eaten anything else all day. Her stomach rumbled even louder as she started looking through the pantry cabinets, looking for something easy and quick to cook.

As she moved aside a variety of spices and seasonings, Cassie's noise started to itch slightly, and before she could prevent it, she sneezed. Loudly.

"ACHOO! ACHOO!" Cassie waited for another set, but apparently she was done.

"Looks like I'm having chicken noodle soup."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie flopped down onto her bed, sighing contently and rubbing her stomach. Noodle soup was the best remedy for almost any ailment Cassie had ever had. She didn't know why she what it was, but she could never say no to any kind of chicken noodle soup.

Cassie sighed again, this time from exhaustion. Today had been quite eventful, and Cassie wanted to just relax and have a long, blissful sleep, without any weird dreams or nightmares. She watched her ceiling fan rotate, around and around and around, her mind just drifting restlessly. She relaxed her muscles, easing into the soft, cottony fabric of her sheets. Her breathing became more and more regular, slowing down into a normal rate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Whiteness. Everywhere she looked, she could see nothing but an endless whiteness._

'_Well, I guess it could be worse. At least it isn't cold,' Cassie thought as she lay down on her back. She lay there for a while. It could've been a minute, it could've been hours, but she didn't care. She just wanted to relax and enjoy the nice, peaceful scenery of her dream. _

_Suddenly, the entire ground started shaking violently, almost as if some giant was walking, his footfalls causing the ground to tremble. They continued for some time, the ground vibrating more and more rapidly. Without warning, it stopped._

'_Finally. My head was starting to hurt.'_

"_Hey, are you real, or is this one of Wheeljack's simulators gone wrong?"_

_Cassie opened her eyes and stared. A set of bright blue eyes, eyes as bright as the mysterious orb she had found, stared back at her. Or, more correctly, _**down**_, at her, wearing a curious expression. It was hard to tell what the expression really was, considering the fact that that the eyes belonged to a giant robot. A giant, silver robot._

_Cassie lay there, her eyes open in fear, her mouth wide open in shock. _

"_Hey, are ya okay?" the robot's deep voice echoed loudly, the hip-hop accent clearly noticeable in his voice. Cassie watched as one of his giant metal fingers gently nudged her in the side. It waited for her to react, but Cassie didn't move. 'Maybe if it thinks I'm dead, it'll go away.' Cassie continued to stare at it, trying to seem as inanimate as possible. The robot moved its finger to touch her again, but before it got any closer, Cassie couldn't hold it back any longer and screamed. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Jazz covered his sound receptors, hoping his hands would block out some of the screaming, but it didn't help. The young human continued to yell noisily. It amazed Jazz that something so small and vulnerable could make such a horrible noise. 'Maybe that's how they've survived for so long' he thought ruefully._

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Jus' stop yer screamin' and I won't touch ya again, I swear!" he shouted over her._

_Oddly enough, the human became quiet immediately. Jazz stepped back, still wondering what had happened to his processors. The small human sat up, staring up at him, its eyes still opened in fear, or what Jazz assumed was fear. Humans had so many facial expressions that it made it difficult to process what mood they were in. He sat down and crossed his legs over one another, hoping the human would recognize this as a gesture of peace. _

_Jazz looked at the human, trying to determine whether it was male or female. He had learned and adapted to the human culture better than any of the other Autobots, but even with his advantage, there were still a lot of characteristics that applied to both types. They only way he would really know whether it was male or female would be an internal scan, but for some odd reason, his scanners weren't online at all._

"_Are ya okay?" he asked, concerned that he had broken one of its vital organs when he prodded it._

_The human nodded its head, still staring at him. He took that as a yes._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

'_This is insane,' Cassie thought wildly as she stared at the silver robot. 'A giant robot is asking if I'm hurt after he just poked me with his finger. It would be so easy for him to just step...on...me..' Cassie quickly stood up, ready to run away if the robot decided that she was too annoying. She inched to her left, noting the robot follow her movements. She stopped, and then started moving back to her right. He still stared at her._

"_Um," Cassie hesitated, still terrified of the silver robot, "are you real?"_

"_I believe so," he responded, sounding somewhat confused himself. "Are you real?"_

"_Of course I am," Cassie huffed indignantly. "This is my head and my dream, and right now I can't believe I'm spending my time talking to a giant silver robot."_

"_Mech," he corrected her. _

"_Okay, sorry, giant silver mech." Cassie retorted. "So, uh, do you have a name or something?" she asked curiously._

"_Jazz," he answered simply. "And you are?"_

"_Cassandra, but I prefer Cassie. So," she asked as she sat down, getting more and more comfortable around Jazz, "you aren't going to squish me?"_

"_Nah, I don' harm humans," Jazz laughed, his metal frame shaking._

'_Nice to know that a giant alien mech finds me humorous'. "So, can I ask what you're doing in my head?"_

"_I really dunno," he answered, scratching his metal helmet-shaped head. "The last thing I remember was fighting that son of a glitch Devastator—"_

"_Wait, that was YOU??!!" Cassie shouted. "That was YOU I saw fighting that giant tank thing?" Jazz stared at Cassie, his blue optics wide in what she could only guess as shock. _

"_How in the pits do you know about that?"_

"_I don't really know, I had a dream, I think," Cassie explained. "I watched you fight, uh, Devastator? Was that his name? Anyway, you fought him, alongside a big black mech and a yellow mech with red stripes—"_

"_Ironhide and Ratchet."_

"_Yeah, uh, I guess. Then there was this huge mech, he had red eyes, he grabbed you and—"_

"_Deactivated me," Jazz finished for her. Cassie stared at him, his voice filled with sadness. She didn't know what to do; he just sat there, his eyes staring blankly at nothing._

"_Jazz?" He didn't answer. "Jazz?"_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Ding dong._

_Huh? I thought Sable said she wouldn't be here until tonight_, Cassie thought sleepily as she looked at her alarm clock. It was almost eleven in the afternoon. Cassie pulled the covers over her head. She had actually enjoyed that dream.

_Ding dong. Ding dong._

_Ugghhh, it's probably a delivery man or something. I bet Melissa ordered something and then forgot about it. I guess I should go and sign for it._ Cassie got up and quickly pulled on something a little more decent than her pajamas.

_Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong._

"I'm coming!" Cassie shouted loudly from the stairs, hoping the impatient delivery man could hear her. She opened the door, expecting to see a delivery boy with a huge package that she needed to sign for.

Instead, standing on her front porch were two men, both of them dressed in business suits. The one closest to her was slightly taller than Cassie, his black hair flecked with streaks of gray. The other man was very tall, his brown hair receding, leaving a large bald spot on most of his head. They had been talking in low voices, but when Cassie opened the door, they stopped instantly and the black-haired man stepped forward, holding out his hand, a large, fake smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, young lady, my name is Mr. Simmons."

* * *

Hee hee. This is turning out really good.

**A/N:** I know, I know, I can't really write hip-hop Jazz, he turned a little southern. But practice makes for better writing

**Read and review if you want to find out what happens next... Mmwwhaahaahahahahaha!!!**

Wakes up Wha...? What just happened? I don't know what happened there, that kinda sounded like Mega...Naahhhh! That couldn't happen. Could it...?


	8. Escape

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers. And aren't the Autobots glad, I would probably be dead a million times over if this stuff were true... .;

**A/N:** WARNING!!!!! THIS IS THE SECOND UPDATE IN TWO DAYS, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CHAPTER 7, GO BACK AND READ IT, OTHERWISE NONE OF THIS WILL MAKE ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER!!!!!!

(sighs deeply) Whooo, sorry about that. Just wanted to make sure everyone got the message.

Okay, back to my notes. From what I read from the few reveiws I received before updating, I read that a lot of you didn't like Simmons so much.

Good, because that was my goal. And let me just warn you now, it's not going to get better until after it gets worse. Believe me, after the next couple of chapters, you'll all want to, uh, inflict many different types of bodily harm on Simmons. Just a warning.

So, anyway, I wanted to thank Atheryne from dA once again for betaing. Taibade is still on beta vacation.

And a big hug (hugs) goes to Zexion666 for mentioning "To Save a Spark" in her profile!! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!!!!

Okay, I know this chapter is long. It was 8 pages on word, and about 3,233 words without all of this extra stuff I'm putting in. But it didn't feel right if I cut up the chapters for some reason. So, sorry about the length, but I hope you all enjoy!!

* * *

**Marlin (panicing):** "There's no way out!" 

_Bruce the shark pounds on the locked door._

**Dory:** "Who is it?"

**Marlin:** "Dory, help me find a way out!"

**Dory (to Bruce):** "Sorry, you'll have to come back later. We're trying to escape."

**Marlin (frantically swimming around):** "There's gotta be a way out!"

**Dory:** "Look, here's something. 'Esss-caa--pay'! I wonder what that means. It's funny, it's spelled just like the word 'escape'."

--- "Finding Nemo" by Disney&Pixar

* * *

**Chapter 8**: Escape 

Cassie instantly didn't like the man.

"Sorry, my mom isn't here right now," Cassie sweetly lied, putting on her best fake smile. "She should be back later, why don't you come back then, I'm sure she'd be delighted to hear what you're selling." The man's expression faltered for a moment, his face etched in fury, before he composed himself and cleared his throat.

"Miss, I'm afraid you don't understand. You see, we're a group of scientists who go out and collect meteorites that have made it through the Earth's atmosphere, and we heard that one was spotted in this area recently," he explained. "My crew and I wanted to ask your guardians if they would allow us to search the premises for any signs of the meteorite."

"Okay, look," Cassie stopped the man before he said another word. "I don't care whether you are sneaky, sleazy salesmen or stuck up, simple-minded scientists." Cassie's anger was clearly evident as the balding man took a few steps back. "I told you that my mom isn't home right now, and like I said, she'll be back later, so you can talk with her at that time," Cassie finished in a huff, smirking widely at the stunned reactions on both of the men's faces. "Have a good day, gentlemen," she said politely as she moved to close the front door.

"Listen here, young lady," Mr. Simmons said, dropping his professional tone and settling for an angry growl as he shoved his hand against the door, preventing Cassie from shutting it. "I can see that you're not easily fooled, so I tell you the truth. We are here on official government business." He glared back at her, his voice short and terse.

"Oh, you're from the government," Cassie retorted sarcastically. "Well, that changes the situation now, doesn't it?"

"We don't want to—"the balding man began, but Cassie interrupted him before he got any further."

"I don't care why you're here, and unless you have a warrant, you can just take your reasons for being here and shove them up your aft. Good day," she finished sweetly before slamming the door shut.

Simmons stood there for a moment, still reeling from the apparent slap in the face.

"Well," Stevens snickered, trying not to laugh at Simmons' reaction, "that could've gone better."

"Shut up." Simmons ordered. He stomped away from the door, his hands clenched into angry fists. "We don't need a warrant to search the premises. I want you to stay here and keep surveillance on this house. I also want you to call David and get all the information you can on the people who live here."

"What will you do, sir?" Stevens inquired.

"I'm taking the rest of the men and we're going to search behind the house. If an N.B.E is here, it would've landed in an area where it wouldn't be seen. There is a large forest behind this house, an almost ideal location for concealing itself."

"Excellent idea, sir." Stevens and Simmons walked back to the black SUV. They drove off, knowing that the girl would be alert for anything suspicious from now on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down, but it wasn't working very well. She slid down the door, hitting the welcome mat with a muted _thud_. She was mad; not at those two men, specifically, but mad that they would attempt to trick her.

_Why would the government want to search our house? My family hasn't done anything wrong. They had no right to be here without a warrant; but still, maybe I should call Sable and cancel our weekend. Just in case._

Cassie stood up and glanced out the living room window, which had a clear view of most of the street. The black SUV that had been parked outside her driveway was gone.

_Good, they got the hint._

Cassie walked away, her stomach rumbling anxiously, wanting breakfast.

_Where in the world did 'aft' come from? I meant to say 'ass', but 'aft' came out instead. I should talk to Jazz again, maybe he could tell me._ Cassie thought briefly before laughing at the idea. _No, there's no way I could've learned alien swear words from him..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He hated mud.

Simmons, along with some of the other agents, had been searching the wooded area around the girl's house for the past three hours, but they still hadn't found any sign of the N.B.E. The few scanners that Simmons had managed to salvage before Sector Seven had been terminated bleeped every few seconds, indicating that they had indeed found the N.B.E's signature. The scanners, however, couldn't tell them exactly where it had landed, which was why Simmons and his team were painstakingly searching the forest. Simmons had almost thrown the G.P.S. in the mud in frustration; for some odd reason, no matter which direction they went, it always announced that they were going in the wrong direction.

It had rained the day before, apparently, and the ground was still soft. In one area, it was particularly moist, which Simmons had found out as his right foot sunk a few inches into the grimy mud. He temper was already near the breaking point after the girl had disrespected him in front of his entire team, and his current discomfort wasn't helping matters any. Simmons was scraping some of the mud off his newly polished shoes when his pocket started vibrating. He pulled out his cell phone and answered it, seeing as the caller was Stevens.

"This had better be important, Stevens."

"Sir, I've contacted David a few hours ago and he finally sent me the information you requested a few moments ago." Steven's voice sounded gleeful, like a little child in the world's largest candy shop.

"Go on." Simmons listened intently as Stevens relayed the newly acquired data. His mouth went from the deepest frown to a small, smirking smile.

"This is interesting news, Stevens. You're positive that your information is accurate?"

"Sir, I fully believe in Agent David's skills, and he has never been wrong before, so yes, I'm one hundred percent positive that the information is correct."

"Good. I—"

"Agent Simmons! Over here, I've found something!"

"Call me back," Simmons hung up before Stevens could argue. Simmons quickly put his shoe back on and rushed through the grass, knocking aside some of the lower branches, following the shouts of discovery from one of his agents. The dense forest ended abruptly, opening into a small clearing where the agent was standing, staring down at the ground. He looked up when he heard Simmons approaching.

"Look at this, sir."

Simmons followed the man's gaze and felt his jaw drop. Right in front of him there was a small crater, probably about 6 inches deep, but it was a good twenty feet across the center.

"Hand me one of the scanners," Simmons ordered. He held it in his hands, hoping that this was it. He turned it on. The scanner hummed for a second before the meter jumped to the highest reading possible, its beeps one long, continuous note.

"Scan the area. See if any of you can find any indication of which way it went." He ordered as he started looking himself. The men set off in different directions, but Simmons called them back almost immediately. He had found a set of footprints near the landing site, heading away from it. They seemed rather small for an N.B.E. as he set his foot against it, and was amazed to discover that his foot was at least two inches bigger than the N.B.E's.

"This way," he ordered, following the footprints, avoiding the large mud puddles that dotted the forest floor. As they tracked the footprints, he noted how the footprints seemed to streak across the ground, as if the N.B.E. wasn't able to walk properly on the muddy surface.

They arrived at the edge of the woods and Simmons stopped, motioning for his men to do the same. Simmons moved swiftly behind a tree, successfully concealing himself behind the thick oak tree. Simmons peered around the tree, looking for any sign of the N.B.E's direction. He swore vehemently when he realized where they had followed the signal.

_That damn N.B.E was hiding right in front of us the entire time._

"Sir, what are your orders?" one of the agents whispered from behind his own tree.

"Nothing at the present time. There are too many neighbors out at the moment, and we need to act at the most beneficial time. We'll go back to the crash site, take photos and then meet Stevens back at the van. We won't make our next move until later this evening. Let's go before she sees us."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie checked her bag once more, making sure she had everything she would need for the weekend: clothes, money, a swimsuit (Sable had called earlier and hinted that they might go to the lake), and all the necessary bathroom supplies. She didn't want to seem rude by not bringing her own shampoo, and besides, Melissa had about fifty bottles of it, she wouldn't mind if Cassie took one. It was only 7:10 p.m., but Cassie wanted to be ready to leave the moment Sable rang the doorbell. Cassie closed the small bag and left it in her room, heading downstairs to grab a sandwich before she left. _Peanut butter and jelly sounds good._

Cassie finished her sandwich quickly and anxiously began pacing around the house, checking to make sure that every door and window was locked tightly. As Cassie locked the back door, she realized that her cell phone had been very quiet ever since Sable called. She thought that her mom would've called and told her that they landed safely in Paris by now. Cassie realized she must have misplaced her phone somewhere between packing her clothes and eating lunch and started searching, looking everywhere for her phone.

She had just found it hiding under the glass coffee table when the doorbell rang. She jumped up in surprise, hitting her head painfully against the glass. She furiously rubbed the aching spot as she walked toward the door, shoving her cell phone securely into her pocket. Cassie opened the door and said "Sable, you're a little ear—". Cassie stopped mid-sentence and gulped loudly, staring at the group of men who stood menacingly on her doorstep.

"Good evening, Cassandra," a low voice announced. Cassie turned to see Mr. Simmons, an unnerving smile on his face, standing off to the side. "May we come in?" Without waiting for an answer, he stepped inside, followed by Mr. Stevens and four other men. Cassie noted anxiously that two of them looked like professional bodyguards, the sleeves of their suits stretching tightly against their bulging muscles

_Oh, shit, this isn't good._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Simmons stepped in through the door, not waiting for a response from Cassandra. He strode into the living room and stood comfortably, facing the girl. He saw with amusement that the girl's expression was fearful. Two of his agents placed themselves behind her, preventing her from escaping.

"So, Cassandra," he began, sitting down on a large armchair, relaxing comfortably. "That is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes," she replied shortly, the fear evident in her voice. "How do you know me?"

"As I stated when we first met, my name is Agent Simmons, and I work for a special section of the government," he continued, completely ignoring her question. "I know everything about you, Cassandra Lyn Richards." He reached into the nearby candy bowl, picking out a mint and unwrapping it. Simmons did this intentionally to watch Cassandra's reaction. Her hand moved ever so slightly, as if she wanted to stop him, but she remained where she was. Her expression changed, though; instead of the fear that had been there earlier, there was a soft, quiet anger in her eyes.

"We know everything, Cassandra," Simmons smiled, clearly enjoying her fury. "I know that you are 17 years old, and that your birthday is in August. Your mother and two sisters are in Paris on vacation right now, and your elder sister Melissa is going to attend a college in France this fall. I also happened to know your father, whom I worked with for quite a long time."

"My dad?" Cassie asked. Simmons watched as Cassie expression changed once again; this time, instead of anger, her eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Yes, Cassandra, I knew your father, and I can tell you he would be extremely disappointed if he knew how you were treating an old friend of his." Simmons paused, letting the statement sink in fully. "But that's not why I'm here, Cassandra," he continued gently, hoping to lure her into a false sense of trust so things wouldn't get out of hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_This fraggin' asshole is out of his mind_, Cassie thought, using all of her restraint to keep her face emotionless. _I don't know how he found out about me or my family, but there is no way in hell that I'm going let him get what he wants. And what in the world is 'Frag'? I must be going insane if I keep saying and thinking up meaningless words..._

"Cassandra, I know this is a lot to take in, but I would like you to come with us. We have a few questions we would like you to answer. Nothing much, just a brief Q &A session." Simmons explained, his overly white teeth showing even in his small smile.

_He's lying, there's no doubt about it. Otherwise, he would've brought the police and a warrant instead of Teeny and Tiny here._

"Yes, Mr. Simmons, I understand." Cassie answered sweetly, turning on her best innocent charm. "Would it be alright if I can go upstairs and change?" she asked, pointing at the jelly stain on her shirt, where she had accidentally dropped the jelly half of the sandwich on it.

"Of course. Let me have Stevens and Conrad accompany you if you need any help." The tall, balding man she had seen with Simmons earlier stepped forward, along with another agent.

Cassie scaled up the stairs, the agents barely a step behind her. _This isn't going to be easy_, Cassie worried as she went through every possible escape scenario, each one more unlikely than the next. All too soon, she was reached her bedroom and walked in. She realized that her bag was hidden from the agent's view, and her car key was lying on top of the bag.

"Um, if you don't mind," she said in what she hoped was a shy voice, her face blushing deeply, "I need to undress."

"Uh, umm, I'm not sure that—" Stevens stuttered, his own face blushing slightly.

"Please? I'll leave the door open, but I would ask you all to stand outside so I can change privately," Cassie begged.

Stevens mumbled something to the other man before they both left the room, positioning themselves outside the room on both sides of the door.

Cassie acted quickly. She quickly removed her shirt and changed it for a dark green T-shirt. She quietly unzipped the bag a few inches and stuffed her phone into it. She grabbed the key and stuck it into her jean pocket. Cassie noiselessly walked to the window and opened it, relieved that it didn't squeak. She slid it into place, open wide enough for Cassie to squeeze through. She hoisted her bad onto her shoulder and crawled out the window. There was a small ledge that jutted out right underneath the window, and Cassie used this as a small foothold. She grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled herself up, her legs still hanging over the edge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stevens stood patiently outside the girl's room, waiting for her to finish changing. He heard a soft _thunk_ overhead and looked up. Conrad looked up as well, and the two exchanged worried glances

"No, she didn't," Stevens moaned angrily as he and the other agent turned, gazing into the room. It was completely empty.

"Dammit!" he yelled as he rushed to the open window. He stuck his head out, looking for any sign of where she went. He heard a slight scuffling noise above him and turned his head upward to see a pair of shoes disappearing onto the roof.

"Simmons is going to kill me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Simmons chewed on the soft mint, enjoying the sweet taste, his spirits high. The plan was running so smoothly, almost exactly as he had planned it.

"Sir!" Stevens' voice echoed loudly down the steps, interrupting his thoughts. "We have a problem!"

"What?" Stevens shouted back, not enjoying the worried tone in Steven's voice at all.

"Sir, the girl has escaped."

"WHAT??" he yelled furiously. "How could she escape? I ordered you to watch her!"

"We did, sir, but she had to change her shirt, and we only turned our backs for two minutes, and somehow managed to escape through the window. I believe she is on the roof at the present time."

"What the hell are you waiting for? Get up there and get her! She mustn't escape!" Simmons turned to the men who had remained downstairs.

"Surround the perimeter and make sure she doesn't leave, or so help me, all of you will be mowing lawns for the rest of your lives." The men obeyed instantly, clamoring to get out the front door at the same time.

_I will not be denied my revenge._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie tiptoed across the roof, her sneakers barely making a sound against the rough material. She walked purposely for the large oak tree that stood next to the house, one of its large limbs running parallel to the gutters. Cassie nervously readjusted her bag and carefully crawled onto the large limb. It held her weight securely as she hurriedly scooted to the trunk. Cassie gripped the large branch and dropped down, swinging like a monkey briefly before her shoe touched the branch below. She slowly let go, keeping her body as close to the trunk as possible. She stood there for a moment, maintaining her balance and deciding her next move.

_It's a lot harder to do this in the dark_, Cassie noted as she wrapped her arms around the trunk and slid down freely a few feet, the rough bark scraping against her skin. She stopped when she hit the next branch. She was climbing down quickly, but she was still a good thirty feet in the air. The quiet night air was suddenly pierced by shouting, causing Cassie to teeter slightly, almost falling out of the tree.

_They know. Better hurry_. Cassie grabbed onto the branch she was standing on and sped up her descent, making it to the bottom most branch in record time. She acted quickly and swung down, her hands still gripping the branch. Her legs dangled for a moment before she let go and slammed painfully into the ground, the shock of the impact vibrating painfully up her legs.

Cassie recovered quickly and ducked behind the tree, completely hidden from view. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around, expecting to see one of the men in the backyard, but it was completely empty. She took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly.

_Now._

Cassie sprinted across the yard, making a beeline straight for the car.

_Closer. Closer. Almost..._

Out of nowhere, a large figure appeared and tackled Cassie hard, sending her crashing to the ground.

* * *

Whoa, intense, huh? 

Okay, look, here's the deal. I have to work tonight from 5 until 10, but it may end up being until 12 or so. If you want me to update at all this weekend, I need a lot of reviews before I get home tonight. That is, 12 p.m. Central Time Zone.

(is given the evil eye by many of her faithful reviewers)

Okay, okay, I'm sorry!!! Just kidding!! Please read and review, okay????? XD


	9. Connections

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers or any of the products/inventions that may be listed in this fiction. Transformers is property of Hasbro. The only thing I really own is my character Cassie.

**A/N:** Okay, here you go, folks! The next chapter has finally arrived! I'm sorry, I know I said I would update this past weekend, but things just got really hectic in my life. That, and the fact that I was severely hit by a bad case of "writer's block"! Uuuggghhh, I can't explain enough how frustrated I was with this chapter. Hopefully it can live up to the high expectations all of my faithfull reviewers have.

By the way, here's a list of all of the reviewers, and underlined names indicate those who have reviewed multiple times:

SS-lover06, blood shifter, SomeReallyRandomPerson, Elita One, LadyofMischiefMaking, Jazzy Kat, Lnzy1, DeltaGamma Liv, Dark Predator Dragon, Gabriel The Fallen, Zexion666, lysia1982, Goldendreams257, Fk306 animelover, Prime Revolver, Of-Light-and-Shadow, BadLuck92, IdiotOnParade, Taibade, Arken Elf, Krimson65. Thank you all so much!!!!

If you would like join this illustrious group of faithful readers, please READ & REVIEW!

Once again, a big thanks goes to Atheryne at dA for helping with this chapter. If you would like to see some of her amazing artwork, check out her page on deviantart.

One more thing, before I get any further into this story, I want to say that extremely talented **Vaeru** here on fanfiction is the inspiration behind the quotes I put at the beginning of each chapter. Her stories are incredible, and if you haven't read her TF fic "Juxaposition" yet, then shame on you! You don't know what you're missing! Go over to her profile and read it!!

Okay, I'll stop now. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. "

--**Hermann Melville**

* * *

**Chapter 9:** Connections 

The neatly trimmed, recently watered grass was forcibly shoved up Cassie's nose as she fell. Cassie struggled against the man, but he was too strong. He kept her pinned down to the ground as he called for backup, twisting her hands unmercifully behind her. The sound of hurried footsteps came nearer. Her tackler suddenly stood up, pulling her up with him.

"Well, well," she heard Simmons' voice snicker, "that was a valiant effort, but you're not getting away that easily, Cassandra Richards" he paused, "or should I call you N.B.E.?"

"What are you talking about?" Cassie yelled, confused. "What in the world is an N.B.E.?"

Simmons, however, wasn't paying attention to her. One of the agents handed him what looked like a miniature version of a metal detector attached to a black box. He held the end of the object up to Cassie, the metal disc attached at the end barely five inches from her chest. He clicked it on, the machine humming for a moment before becoming silent. Cassie watched as Simmons pushed a button on the handle.

The machine reacted immediately, beeping noisily, the meter hand spinning wildly. It didn't last long, though; a few seconds later, the black box suddenly burst into sparks, causing Simmons to drop it. Cassie watched as smoke poured out of the black box, the acrid smell of burnt wires stinging Cassie's nose. No one spoke; no one seemed to breathe, except for Cassie. Simmons remained motionless, staring down at the now-useless machinery.

"Restrain it and put it in the back, we're leaving now," Simmons ordered as he hurried away. Cassie squirmed in the muscled man's grip, trying to make one last attempt at escape, but he held on firmly, grunting a little as he struggled to restrain her. Cassie watched helplessly as another agent walked towards them, holding a huge pair of handcuffs and what looked like a large dog collar in his hands.

"What you're doing is illegal!" Cassie shouted, hoping the neighbors would hear her. "When my family finds out about this, you—"

"Silence, N.B.E.," the man holding her spat, pushing Cassie down on her knees, once again filling her nose and mouth with the stench and horrible taste of fresh grass. The other agent quickly sat on top of her and put the collar around her neck, causing her to cough from the sudden tightness around her throat. As she was choking, the same agent forced her wrists together and locked the handcuffs tightly.The agent who had tackled her jerked her to her feet, shoving her across the lawn and into the front yard. The large, black SUV Cassie had noticed earlier in the day was parked right in front of her house. They led her to the back and opened it. Cassie tried to fight back, bracing her legs against the bumper, but the man was just too strong. He pulled her legs up and dumped her roughly into the trunk, Cassie landing on her right side, her face squished against the back seat. She turned to right herself and start yelling again, but her bag was unceremoniously thrown on top of her, completely obscuring her vision. Cassie screamed, but the bag muffled any sounds she made. The doors slammed shut and the van rumbled to a start before taking off, the tires squealing slightly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They returned to the private airport in record time. Simmons gratefully stepped out of the SUV, wanting to get away from the N.B.E. The entire trip back it had done nothing but scream and yell at them, and he was looking forward to the peace and quiet of the plane. He stood outside the plane, watching as the men unloaded the N.B.E.; incredibly, it was still struggling against his men and fighting to break free.

"Why can't you keep it quiet?" Simmons yelled.

"Sir, we've tried, but it's very, uh, _resilient_," Stevens answered, walking over to Simmons.

"You fraggin' sons of glitches! Let me go!" it screamed at them, eyes full of fury. "How much does it take for you to get it? I'm not an N.B.E., or whatever the hell you call it! I'm just a normal, seventeen-year-old girl!"

"Do we have any sedatives? I want to enjoy the flight back without any interruptions." Simmons asked as the N.B.E. continued its relentless tirade of shouts and curses.

"I will see what we have available, sir." Stevens grumbled as he hurried to help contain the N.B.E for the flight back. Simmons boarded the plane, the comforting silence of the plane music to his ears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Let me go!! You freaks are out of your minds! Kidnapping is a federal offense!" Cassie shouted as she was carried to the back of the plane. She was thoroughly pissed off, and the fact that no one was listening to her made her even angrier. One of the men holding her opened a small door to what appeared to be a storage compartment, and with a giant heave, they tossed Cassie inside.

Cassie fell onto a large pile of pillows and blankets, making a soft _phoomf_ as she landed. The men promptly slammed the door shut, the lock clicking loudly into place. Cassie turned over and started kicking the door, hoping the hard plastic would cave in.

"Oh, just you wait, you'll be sorry you ever messed with me!" Cassie screeched, her throat raw as she continued pounding the door and yelling insult after insult. The plane suddenly vibrated violently, sending Cassie rolling away from the door. She listened as the engine roared to life, and within a few moments, Cassie felt the plane take off, her chances going from very possible to almost non-existent.

_Time for plan B_. Cassie started twisting her wrists back and forth, hoping that the cuffs were loose enough to let one of her hands slip through. She struggled for some time, the metals restraints cutting painfully into her wrists as she relentlessly struggled to break free. Cassie slowly stopped moving. She had wasted too much energy on trying to escape earlier; now she lay silently, her sore wrists making her miserable state even worse.

_Why?_ Cassie thought angrily, shoving her head into a large pillow. She was an average, law-abiding teenager, and to be forcibly removed from her home against her will was definitely not legal in any circumstance.

Cassie kicked the door one last time, her anger diminishing. A single tear fell, splashing noiselessly onto the blanket beneath her. All of the anger, confusion and pain that had been bottled up inside threatened to fall out, and Cassie could do nothing to stop it. The warm tears came in flows, her eyes becoming cloudy and unfocused. She cried silently, not wanting the anyone to hear her. Cassie could never remember crying so hard, not since...

_Stop_, she ordered herself. _Don't think about that, it's not going to help you any_. Tired, cold, hungry and emotionally spent, Cassie leaned against the soft pillow, easing herself into a fitful sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Cassie? Yer leakin pretty badly. Are ya sure one of your fluid lines isn't broken?" Cassie looked up at the silver mech, wiping her eyes on the bottom of her shirt._

"_No, I'm fine, Jazz, this is a normal reaction for humans when we're upset," she laughed weakly._

"_Ah, I see tha' now. Whaz botherin' ya?" Cassie looked up, surprised at what she was hearing. This giant alien mech was worried about her. _

"_I don't know, just everything," Cassie sighed wearily. She told Jazz everything that had happened within the past few hours, glad that she could openly talk with someone who didn't look at her like she was some disgusting animal. She let it all spill out, glad that Jazz didn't interrupt her once. When she had finished, she looked to see Jazz sitting still, his bright blue eyes in what she guessed was deep thought._

"_The human who captured you," Jazz finally said. "What was his name?"_

"_Simmons," Cassie answered. _

'_Slag, this is worse than I thought,' Jazz thought, pounding his fist to the floor._

"_Why?" Cassie asked. "Do you know Simmons?"_

"_Yeah, I do," Jazz explained angrily. "Simmons is the same human who captured and tortured Bumblebee right after we landed here."_

"_Wait, wait, hold on a second," Cassie sputtered. "You mean that there are more of you? Here, on Earth? And this guy Simmons knows about all of you?"_

"_O' course. But that's not important right now." Jazz held up his hand, halting any of the questions he knew that Cassie would want to ask. "Right now, I need to contact the Autobots." _

"_And how are you going to do that? From what I can tell, you're stuck in my head, and I highly doubt that this Simmons guy will let me use my 'one phone call' to contact a bunch of giant mechs that probably don't even have a phone number to begin with," Cassie finished sarcastically._

"_Good point."_

_Cassie stood up and began pacing around Jazz. She was extremely annoyed that didn't want to tell her anything other than the basics, almost as if he was trying to keep something from her. What was so important that she shouldn't know about? If anything, Jazz should've told her everything to begin with. Then maybe she wouldn't tied up and forced on a plane headed to who-knows-where right now. _

"_Cassie?" Jazz finally spoke. Cassie stopped pacing and looked at Jazz, her brown eyes staring up at his blue optics. " Do ya remember me tellin' ya that Autobots also, uh, 'sleep', as you humans say?"_

"_Yeah, you called it a 'recharge cycle', right?" Cassie answered, unsure of what sleeping had to do with anything._

"_Good. I dunno if this is going to work or not, but I'm going to send a private communication to Bumblebee. The problem, tho', is my comms link isn't online."_

"_And what am I supposed to do about it? I'm no mechanic, and even if I was, there is no way I would know how to fix whatever a "comms link" is." _

"_No, I don't need you to fix it; I need _**you**_ to contact Bumblebee. I don't know why, but you are able to communicate privately to me without actually speakin', which should be impossible for anythin' other than a Cybertronian to do."_

"_Okay, so let me make sure I understand what's going on," Cassie started, not fully understanding what she was hearing. "Somehow, I'm able to talk to you with my mind, which I shouldn't be able to do, but can anyway."_

"_Yes."_

"_And you want me to 'mentally communicate', or 'send a private comm.' to Bumblebee, another Autobot, who can hopefully get me out of this mess?"_

"_Yes."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Bumblebee?-**

Bumblebee shifted slightly in his recharge cycle

**-Who is this?-**

**-You can hear me? Wow, I guess he was right...-**

**-Who are you?-** Bumblebee transmitted again, his processors whirring faintly. He was receiving a private comm. in the middle of a recharge cycle, which was highly unusual. The signal was Cybertronian, and it was definitely an Autobot, yet at the same time it wasn't. The comm. link was weak, cutting in and out occasionally. It also sounded very young, and if he was guessing right, the voice was distinctly that of a femme.

**-Uhhhh, my head hurts. I can't do this much longer-** the voice whined, sounding strained.

**-How did you get access to my comm. link?-** Bumblebee asked curiously.

**-Need...help...captured...he said...Autobots...-** the link ended abruptly.

**-Autobot, respond-** Bumblebee ordered, but the link was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Bee? Wake up. No time to sleep right now."

Sam shook the yellow mech, or what he could reach of Bumblebee, which happened to be his foot. Bumblebee didn't move.

"Mikaela, help me, we need to wake him up." Sam said as he rapped his knuckles hard on the lower part of Bee's leg. The only thing he succeeded in doing was hurting his knuckles on the hard, yellow metal of Bumblebee's skin.

"Give him a break, Sam, he hasn't slept for a few days now, and even giant mechs need to rest every now and then."

"I know, but Optimus ordered me to wake him up, said something about a meeting." Sam shouted, hoping his voice would jar Bee from his slumber. Sam was so preoccupied with waking Bumblebee up that he didn't notice Sergeant Lennox walking in silently behind him.

Lennox had just come from a meeting with Defense Secretary Keller and other important military officials about the current status of the newly relocated Autobots, and Ironhide had offered to take Lennox to the meeting. No one else except Keller and Lennox knew that Ironhide was there, and they wanted to keep it that way; Lennox respected the Autobots wishes to remain hidden from as many people as possible. It had been quite a task to keep it a secret, though; there were many witnesses at the Mission City battle, but thankfully, most of them had accepted some type of bribe and were keeping their mouths shut.

"How's it going, kid?" Lennox said as he and wrapped his arm playfully around Sam's neck.

"Hey, let go! You'll mess with the hair," Sam coughed, attempting to throw off the adult. Lennox complied and let of him, but not before he roughed up Sam's hair.

"So, having problems waking up the Bumblebee?" Lennox said, surprisingly calm.

"Yeah, Optimus wanted him in some important meeting." Mikaela explained.

"Watch this." Lennox said, pulling out a handheld foghorn out of one of his many pockets. "I did this to Ironhide a week ago; it was priceless. It's something else, watching a huge black, pickup truck roll over on its own," he smirked as he started inching towards Bumblebee, his boots making no noise as he walked. "You should probably step back a few feet; this is going to be pretty loud."

Sam and Mikaela obeyed, moving all the way to the door.

"Get ready to run," Lennox whispered, silently slithering closer to Bumblebee. He held the foghorn above his head, only a few inches away.

"Wait, Sergeant Lennox, I don't think that this is a good-" Mikaela started to say.

"Ssshhh, Mikaela!!" Sam hissed. This was too good to pass up.

"Now!" he shouted, running backwards and pushing the button at the same time. The small room was suddenly filled with a screeching sound, loud enough to be heard a mile away. It worked perfectly; Bumblebee jerked awake, and tumbled off his metal bed, the ground shaking violently from the impact.

"RUN!" Lennox yelled, laughing and almost tripping over his own feet in his hurry to get out. Sam and Mikaela were already out the door and down the hallway, their sides hurting from the laughter. All three of them disappeared into the meeting room just as Bumblebee ran out of his quarters.

"Bumblebee, what's wrong?" Bumblebee turned to see Ironhide walking towards him

"Ironhide, something must be wrong with the security systems. I was in recharge and suddenly I heard this loud, terrible sound and..." Bumblebee stopped. Why didn't Ironhide seem more concerned? Whenever the security system started going off, he was the first one to pull out his cannons.

"Ah, so that's where he went," Ironhide chuckled. "Well, I was going to wake you myself, but it looks like Lennox took care of that. Optimus wanted to talk with all of us, so I suggest you get your aft in there soon." Ironhide left Bumblebee standing there, still wondering what had just happened.

Bumblebee hurried after Ironhide, his processor still trying to determine the origin of the unknown communication. Maybe Optimus would know...

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Next Chapter: More Autobots action and a new arrival. 

Chapter 10 is in progress, so hopefully it will be up by Saturday.

I like feedback a lot, so tell me what you liked or didn't like about this chapter, and I will takes notes.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!


	10. Arrival

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Transformers or any of the songs mentioned in this story.

A/N: AIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!

I'm so sorry everyone, I know, I know. It's been over a week since I last updated, and I feel so bad about it. This was another chapter that was giving me so much trouble, but now that's I'm over this hump, expect the next few chapters to come more frequently. I feel especiall bad for all of the reviewers who look forward to this story. I'M SORRY!!!!

Anywho, a few notes. Prowl is based off of his G1 form, just because he looks awesome that way. And I know he's not a Saleen in G1, but Barricade had to copy his car from somewhere, and so Prowl just took that same car and copied it. My reasons? Can't tell you now, but it will come back later.

Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I hope you don't hate this chapter too much (although, if you do, I can't blame you)

Okay, I'll stop whining now and let you read. Enjoy!!

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"The fuunnn has aaarriiiiivvveedd!!! Thank you, thank you very much."

-Terk, from Disney's **Tarzan**

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**Chapter 10:** Arrival

The donut shop on 5th Avenue was a quaint, small little place just outside of the city limits. The owners prided themselves on serving nothing but the best donuts in the state, and the wall behind the counter was adorned with various trophies, medals and plaques, all of them high honors. They were extremely busy at the moment, the mid-afternoon rush crowding the small shop. One of them glanced up briefly to see his two best customers stepping out of a brand new Saleen S281 police car. They walked in and the owner greeted them cheerfully.

"Joe, Ryan, good to see you again! The usual?" he shouted over the noisy crowd.

"Not today," Ryan yelled back. "We're here to pick up an order for a party at the station."

"Be with you in just a minute!" the owner answered as he ducked into the back room.

"Man, what are all these—" the other officer started, but he stopped as the ground beneath them trembled violently, the lights rattling noisily in their sockets.

"EARTHQUAKE!" someone screamed, causing a panic to spread throughout the little shop. People started pushing and shoving, fighting each other for a spot underneath one of the few tables.

"Everybody get down!!" the officers yelled, trying to restore what little calm they could. The earthquake stopped immediately, although it was hard to tell since many of the people were still screaming.

No one noticed a second Saleen S281, identical to the one that had just arrived, speed away, heading into the desert.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"C'mon Bee, let's go, there's a mega-monster movie marathon on!" Sam said, racing out of the meeting room.

Mikaela and Bumblebee walked out, watching Sam sprint down the long hallway.

"Sam knows that the medbay is down that hallway, correct?" Bumblebee asked, a little laughter in his voice.

"Probably not," Mikaela sighed. "I'll go and get him before he hurts himself." Mikaela hurried after him.

Bumblebee watched Mikaela disappear around a corner before heading back into the meeting room, wanting to talk to Optimus privately about the strange comm. he had received. He walked in to see Ratchet talking to Optimus.

"Good news, Bumblebee," Optimus said, his blue optics shining. "Prowl has just contacted me, and he should arrive at the base within a few breems or so."

"Prowl? He's already here?" Bumblebee asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, and Prowl also mentioned that Wheeljack would be here within a cycle or so." Ratchet continued. "At this rate, we'll need to expand the base even further." Bumblebee listened, unsure whether he should tell Optimus about the comm. in front of Ratchet. If Ratchet thought his comm. link was faulty, there was no telling how long he would be in the medbay.

"Did you need something, Bumblebee?" Optimus asked. Bumblebee hesitated for some time before he answered.

"So, you haven't received any other transmissions? None at all?"

"No. Why?" Ratchet questioned, his full attention on Bumblebee now.

"Well, uh," Bumblebee shifted uncomfortably, settling to look at the floor instead of Ratchet and Optimus. "While I was in recharge, I received a private comm."

"You did? Who sent it?" Optimus asked curiously, staring at Bumblebee in mild surprise.

"I don't know, Optimus." Bumblebee said somewhat sadly. "It seemed like a distress signal because the link was very weak. I know this may sound impossible, but it didn't seem like it was fully Cybertronian."

"Was it possible that you had accessed one of Earth's communication channels?" Ratchet asked.

"No," Bumblebee replied, his head still down.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I still want to see you in the medbay for a full systems check." Ratchet ordered as he left the room. Bumblebee lifted his head once the doors had shut and looked at Optimus.

"Sir, do you think it was a Decepticon?"

"I don't know, Bumblebee." Optimus placed his hand on Bumblebee's shoulder, trying to comfort the yellow mech. "For now, I suggest you heed Ratchet's advice and get a full systems scan."

"Knowing Ratchet, I'll be in there for a full cycle." Bumblebee muttered as he left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam, you're going the wrong way!" Mikaela shouted, frantically running to catch up with Sam. "This is the way to the medbay!"

"No, it's not, I'm sure Bumblebee said that it's this way," Sam shouted back as he skidded to a halt. He pushed on the door, and stepped through. Mikaela sprinted through before the door completely shut behind her.

"I told you this wasn't the way." Sam and Mikaela were standing outside, the sun blazing down on them in the hot afternoon. Sam wiped his sweating forehead, glad that he had decided to wear shorts today.

"Yeah, we definitely need to get a map," Sam answered. "Besides, I needed some fresh air after that meeting." He turned to head back inside, but stopped, an odd rumbling sound reaching his ears.

"Sam, what's—?"

"Shhh," Sam whispered. "Can you hear that?"

"Yes," Mikaela replied, hearing the noise as well. "Why does it sound so familiar?"

"Look!" Sam shouted, pointing at a speeding object heading their way. He squinted his eyes against the bright sunlight, trying to see what it was.

"It's some kinda car, I can't really tell what it is," he said, climbing up a hill to get a better view. Mikaela followed him, her eyes focusing on the car. Both of them watched the car come closer, noting how it seemed to be headed straight for the base.

A large group of clouds moved in front of the sun, providing Sam and Mikaela some welcomed shade. Without the sun in their eyes, they could both see that the mysterious vehicle was in fact a police car.

"Why would a police cruiser be all the way out here?" Mikaela asked, her voice sounding a little worried.

"You don't think—?" Sam began, but his question was answered as the car suddenly swerved off road and was now speeding straight for the base.

"Shit, Mikaela, we need to get back inside now!" Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hill, sliding a little on the loose rocks.

"Sam! Why—"

"Mikaela, don't you get it? That's Barricade, the evil cop car that tried to squish me a few weeks ago! I thought Bumblebee had taken care of him!" he said as they sprinted back to the base. "We've got to warn everyone!"

Sam and Mikaela ran flat out, praying they could make it inside before the Decepticon saw them. No such luck. The cruiser spotted them and swerved, changing directions and effectively cutting them off their escape.

"RUN FOR IT!!!" Sam yelled, turning around and dragging Mikaela back the way they had just come. The car seemed to anticipate this; it spun around and cut them off again within a matter of seconds. No matter which way they ran, the car seemed to be one step ahead of them. After five minutes of dodging the car and running around in circles, Mikaela dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

"Sam, I can't keep running like this," she managed to say in between gasps.

"What's keeping Bee and the others? Wouldn't they have realized that Barricade is sitting right outside the front door?" Sam shouted, standing protectively in front of Mikaela, shielding her from the car. The Saleen stopped in front of Sam, not four feet away.

"Sam! Mikaela!" they heard Lennox shout. "Calm down! It's all right! He's an Autobot!"

"Lennox, are you crazy?" Sam shouted back. "Barricade is definitely not an Autobot! He almost turned me into a human pancake!" Lennox walked up to Mikaela and helped her up as Ironhide calmly walked toward the car, his weapons hidden. He stared at the Saleen for a moment before saying in Cybertronian, **"You realize that you have the same alt-mode as Barricade, don't you, Prowl?"**

"**Slaggit!"** the car angrily replied in Cybertronian, its engine revving. **"If I had known that pit-born Decepticon had used the same Earth vehicle as an alt-mode, I would've found a different one!"**

The four of them watched as Saleen started shifting, every part moving and rearranging itself into place. After a few moments, a tall, black and white Autobot stood in front of them, the word "Police" emblazoned across his chest, the Autobot symbol positioned just above it. His helmeted head, similar to Jazz's, had what looked like a pair of red bull horns dead center on his forehead. The doors of the Saleen had slid behind him and opened out to give the appearance of wings He looked down at Sam and the others and snorted.

"**I thought that Optimus ordered that no other species were to be involved in our mission,"** Prowl asked Ironhide, the clicks and beeps of the Cybertronian language coming rapidly out of his vocal processor. Sam, Mikaela and Lennox listened eagerly, even though they couldn't understand any of the conversation between the two mechs. None of them had ever heard any of the Autobots speak Cybertronian, so it was quite odd listening to Ironhide talk with the new mech in his native language.

"**The circumstances have changed quite a bit since we last met, Prowl,"** Ironhide spoke calmly. **"Besides, these humans are the ones who helped destroy Megatron."**

Prowl stood still for a few moments, his optics appearing oddly blank.

"**Optimus is inside, and he can bring you up to speed on what's happened."** Ironhide said, trying his best not to laugh at Prowl. They all watched as Prowl headed inside, apparently still trying to recover from the shock.

"What's his problem? It's like he couldn't believe a word you said," Mikaela asked, dusting off her jean skirt.

"Nah, that's just Prowl, he's always been like that," Ironhide said, switching back to English. "Mech's got a genius logic processor, one of the best. That's why he's second in command; the only one above him is Optimus." Ironhide explained. "The problem, though, is that the mech can't handle anything that isn't logical."

"Wait, so you're saying this guy doesn't have any imagination?" Sam interrupted.

"Well, he does, to a certain limit, though. Give him something too unrealistic, and his processor will short-circuit for some time before rebooting." Ironhide chuckled slightly.

"Oh, so that's why he was blank for a while there," Sam realized aloud. "So, what were all those noises he was making? He sounded like some really old video game."

"That is Cybertronian, Sam," Ironhide explained, none too politely. "I assumed he hadn't had time to access your Internet database and learn Earth's languages before he arrived, and I was right. But don't worry; he'll pick it up soon, what with Teletraan-I online." Ironhide shifted into his alt-mode as he finished speaking.

"I need to get back home, my wife's going to kill me for being gone for so long," Lennox said, opening the driver door on Ironhide and climbing in. "I'll be back later tonight, kids, so until then, _behave_." He shut the door and Ironhide sped off, kicking up dust. Sam and Mikaela coughed, their eyes watering from the sudden clouds of dust.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**So much has happened since we last spoke, Optimus**, Prowl replied after Optimus explained everything that had happened on Earth, from finding the Allspark and defeating Megatron, to the loss of Jazz.

**What are you planning on doing?** Prowl asked skeptically.

**For the time, we will remain here on Earth, waiting for any other surviving Autobots to arrive.**

**I still don't see why we should trust these creatures,** **Optimus.**

**For now, we have no choice. Besides, not all of them wish us harm.** Optimus replied flatly, ending the argument.

**Fine.** Prowl headed for the door, but Optimus stopped him before he left.

**You should learn all you can about Earth. I suggest using the "World Wide Web" information databank the humans have created. It was extremely useful when we first arrived.**

Optimus watched as Prowl left, the doors hissing closed behind him.

_I should have Bumblebee check on Sam and Mikaela. Prowl probably scared them quite a bit. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam, this is the worst movie ever. Change it to something else." Mikaela reached for the remote.

"No way, Mikaela, we're not watching some soppy, tear-inducing chic flick." Sam jumped off the couch, grabbing the control and holding it above his head.

"Hey, Bee, what do you wanna watch?" Sam asked, still holding the remote just beyond Mikaela's reach.

Before Bumblebee could reply, the giant doors Bumblebee used to get in opened, Prowl looking around the room a moment before spotting Bumblebee and walking in.

"Ah, I was informed by Ratchet that you would be here," Prowl spoke. Mikaela and Sam were surprised to hear him speak in English. Sam and Mikaela stopped fighting long enough to watch the conversation. They expected Bumblebee to reply back in English, but what came out instead had Sam and Mikaela stifling the urge to laugh.

_"Bad boys, bad boys_

_Whatcha goin' to do_

_Whatcha goin' to do when they come for you_

_Bad boys, bad boys"_

Prowl stared at Bumblebee for a moment, his blue optics wide.

"I thought that Ratchet had fixed your vocal processor, Bumblebee?" Prowl said, sounding confused. Bumblebee shook his head. "Well, I'm pleased to see that you've found a suitable replacement for now. I must meet with Ratchet; I need to check the security systems and make sure they are fully functional." He left, pausing only briefly to acknowledge Sam and Mikaela before shutting the door behind him.

"Bee, Ratchet didn't do anything to mess up your voice, did he?" Sam asked, wiping his eyes.

"No," Bumblebee said simply, his mouth grinning widely.

Sam laughed even harder.

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Okay, I know it was a short chapter, but it's over!!! Yayyy!!!

Please read and review!!! I love reviews!!! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. XD

Next Chapter: Cassie needs help, and Bumblebee receives another message...(dun dun duuuunnnnn)


	11. Memories and a Message

**Disclaimer: **I do not in any way, shape, form or mind own Transformers. (sigh)

**A/N:** Okay, I know I usually would update more frequently than this, but I've been so busy this past week and the previous weeks that I think I'm going to only be able to update on a weekly basis now. I apologize now to any of you who were used to me updating more frequently, but I won't be able to do that until maybe Christmas. Sorry!!!!

This chapter is a doozy, only because the some of the stuff was taken fromt the movie, and I didn't think that would really count as being part of this chapter, since I assume that most of you have seen the 2007 movie and know what happens. Hopefully, this will satisfy your appetite long enough for me to get the next chapter written.

Thanks to Taibade here on Fanfic and Atheryne on dA for beta the first half of this chapter! I miss you guys so much!

Thanks once again, Elita-One, for helping me with another question! Hey, you all, go check out her story, it's going to be so good, I can already tell!

Last, but most definately not least, thanks to all of you who reviewed last chapter! Hopefully, I'll reach 100 reviews soon! (crosses fingers)

**EDIT:** Okay, after taking some advice, I've enabled annonymous reviews to be allowed. So go ahead and review already!! (4:25 pm Central Time, Oct. 8)

ENJOY!!!!!!

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"A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I wanna line the pieces up...yours and mine."

--Sora, opening scene, Kingdom Hearts 2

**Chapter 11:** Memories and a Message

"_Taking the children was a bad move. Autobots, relieve them of their weapons."_

_Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz jumped from the bridge, drawing their weapons as their feet touched the ground. Ironhide had landed the closest to the humans, his cannons whirring angrily as he shouted "Freeze!" Apparently, the humans were too focused on Optimus to heed Ironhide's demand, each of them pulling out a small gun and aiming it at their leader._

'_This will get their attention', Jazz thought humorously as he extended his arm, his hand in a tight fist._

"_Gimme those." He pulled his arm back forcefully, his hand opening up. All at once, the guns were jerked out of the human's hands and flew straight into Jazz's open palm. He threw them away, making sure the humans stayed disarmed. Bumblebee stepped up next to him as he turned back, his own cannon humming as he aimed it at the humans. They all watched as Optimus lowered himself to speak directly with the human called Simmons._

"_Hi there." Simmons feebly waved his hand at Optimus._

"_You don't seem afraid." Optimus stated, his own curiosity barely noticeable as he spoke. "Are you not surprised to see us?"_

"_Look," the human began, his voice quavering slightly. "There are, at Seven, protocols...okay? I'm not authorized to communicate with you except to tell you that I can't communicate with you."_

"_Get out of the car." Optimus ordered, all traces of curiosity gone, replaced by an irritated tone._

"_Alright, alright. You...you want me, me...?" the human stuttered, his voice now shaking._

"_NOW!" _

"_Oh, alright, alright, get out. Alright, I'm getting out, I'm getting out, you see? Very nifty how you put us down without, really killing us," he mumbled, hoping Optimus wouldn't hear._

_**-What are we gonna do now Optimus?-**__ Jazz commed as Mikaela and Sam started questioning Simmons._

_**-For now, we should retreat to an area where I can examine the glasses without human interference. We should also consider taking Sam and Mikaela with us. I do not want these humans to harm them because of us.-**__ Optimus replied._

_**-I don't know, Optimus, they could just get in the way**__- Ironhide interjected, his cannons still focused intently on the group of humans._

_**-They know this area better than we— -**__ Optimus began, but stopped short._

"_Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man," Optimus suddenly voiced aloud. Jazz and the others turned just in time to see Bumblebee close off the valve just above his legs. He emitted a gentle, innocent sounding hum, as if to say 'What? You mean me? I was doing something wrong?'_

_Jazz said nothing, at least, to Optimus._

_**-Primus, that was perfect, Bee-**__ Jazz nodded his head ever so slightly in approval. __**–Next time, though, let me know before ya do somethin' like that; I'll join ya'-**_

_The Autobots all watched as Sam and Mikaela somehow locked the humans together so they couldn't move. The last one to be chained was Simmons, but Simmons looked different that the other humans, as Mikaela had forced him to remove what she called "his clothes". _

_He obeyed reluctantly, and as they turned to leave, he shouted "I'll hunt you down! Without any remorse!"_

_**-I'd like to see him try-**_

_**-Me too, 'Hide-.**_

_Sam and Mikaela moved away from Simmons and his men, choosing to stand next to Bumblebee._

"_Hey, Mikaela, do you hear that?" Sam asked._

"_Yeah, it sounds like a helicopter," she answered, her voice sounding worried._

_The Autobots turned to see a group of black SUVs charging toward them followed by a pair of helicopters. _

"_Optimus, incoming!" Ironhide yelled, slamming his fist into the ground._

_Jazz acted instantly, rolling to the front of the group, his right arm reconfiguring itself into a small cannon. His fingers split, positioning themselves around the cannon and spread around it, forming a shield. He placed the shield in front of himself protectively as the shockwave from Ironhide's fist traveled rapidly across the ground, rapidly moving towards the enemy Earth vehicles. _

_The black vehicles stood no chance. The shockwave went straight for the tires, causing them to explode from the sudden charge. They swerved dangerously on the road, barely avoiding crashing into one another. Jazz smiled as Ironhide lifted his arm, his large optics gleaming in satisfaction._

_**-Finally, I get to use my cannons for something useful.-**__ Ironhide commed to everyone except Optimus. The celebration was short lived, as Jazz watched as the helicopters contiued closing in on them._

"_Rollout!" Optimus suddenly ordered, moving closer to Sam and Mikaela. They all obeyed without hesitation, shifting into their respective alt-modes. Bumblebee was the last to fully change, his tires squealing and spewing smoke. Jazz could sense something was bothering Bumblebee, but he pushed it out of his mind as he led the others away from the bridge._

_**-We need to find a suitable place to hide-**__ Ratchet said once Optimus had disappeared from view, Sam and Mikaela clinging fearfully onto Optimus' hand as he lifted it to place them on his shoulder plate._

_**-What about Optimus?-**__ Ironhide's voice growled, clearly wanting to go back and help their leader. _

_**-He'll be fine, Ironhide. If anyone can get out of any mess, it's Optimus-**__ Jazz said as he turned sharply down a trash-strewn alley.__** –He wouldn't do anythin' too reckless, and besides, once those humans give up, he can transform and meet up with us.-**_

_They drove on in silence for a few moments, changing directions every few seconds to ensure that they wouldn't be followed. Jazz finally found an abandoned building that would hide them for the time being, and he led the way inside, the bright headlights on his alt-mode lighting up the crumbling wreck._

_**-Bumblebee, what's eatin' yer circuits?-**__ Jazz privately commed to the yellow Camaro once they were all safely inside._

_Bumblebee didn't respond, which worried Jazz. He usually would find some Earth channel and play a small sample, usually able to get his message across, but nothing came out._

_**-Bee? -**__ Jazz tried, using his nickname. –__**Bee, ya okay?-**_

_Bumblebee answered by revving his engine and speeding back out the entrance, catching all of them off guard._

"_Slaggit, Bee, don' do this!" Jazz shouted, but Bumblebee had already disappeared._

"_We've gotta stop him before he does somethin' stupid!" Jazz angrily buzzed, his engine throbbing loudly._

"_I agree. We cannot take the risk of any of us getting captured." Ratchet replied thoughtfully. "I'm certain that as long as we stay in these forms, the humans won't be able to detect us with those primitive devices they call 'scanners'," he added with a snort._

_**-Optimus, Bee's gone. He's probably headin' for your location.- **__Jazz sped out of the decrepit building, Ratchet and Ironhide close behind._

_**-Jazz, stay back. The humans are still searching for me, and I'm in no position to change locations at the moment.-**__ His message sounded unfocused, his attention clearly somewhere else._

_**-Don't worry, Optimus, we'll find Bumblebee.-**_

_Jazz raced through the streets, neatly swerving in and out of the slow moving cars._

_**-Jazz, there is an old vehicle storage facility nearby. It has an access point that can give us a clear view of Optimus' current location. I am certain that Bumblebee is heading in that direction.-**__ Ironhide relayed, as his alt-mode struggled a little to make the same maneuvers._

_**-Lead the way- **__Jazz slowed down, falling back to follow Ironhide._

_They arrived at the parking garage within a few moments, the area thankfully deserted. Ironhide didn't stop for a moment, driving up each ramp with incredible speed and precision. They emerged at the top level, the roof providing an excellent view of the bridge where Optimus had hidden._

_Jazz parked close to the roof's edge, his front bumper mere millimeters away._

_They watched as a helicopter flew under the bridge, followed closely by another._

"_Jazz, I've spotted Bumblebee."_

_The yellow Camaro had reappeared, speeding along the low bank, heading for Optimus._

_Jazz noticed suddenly that something was wrong. Screams were emitting from under the bridge, screams that sounded human..._

_Bumblebee leapt into the air, changing and catching Sam and Mikaela just before they hit, his chest scraping the ground, sending sparks everywhere as he slid. He set them down gently as he stood up._

"_Alrigh' Bee!" Jazz yelled, honking his horn. The sound was drowned out by the two helicopters that had flown by earlier; they had spotted Bumblebee's diving catch and were returning._

_One of them flew past, shooting what looked like a grappling hook directly at Sam and Mikaela. Bee moved in front of them, the grappling hook wrapping painfully around his arm and turning him around. The other helicopter also shot at Bumblebee, firmly locking his other hand in place._

"_NOOOOOOOO!!!!! STOP!!" Jazz heard Sam scream, waving his hands frantically._

_It was no use._

_More helicopters had arrived, another sending a hook around Bumblebee's leg. Bumblebee cried out in the only way he could, his vocal processors emitting a horrible screeching sound as the lines pulled painfully on his limbs._

_**-Bee!-**__ Jazz shouted over the comm., reaching Bumblebee in the only way he could._

_**-Jazz, do not move from your location.-**__ Optimus ordered sternly._

_**-Optimus, but...-**_

_-__**That's an order, Lieutenant-**_

_Jazz could do nothing as he watched Bumblebee struggle against his bonds. His last remaining leg was pulled out from under him, causing Bumblebee to flip over and land loudly on the concrete. Bumblebee weakly moaned, his cry echoing loudly. More and more humans were arriving, surrounding Bumblebee and the two young humans, preventing their escape._

_A group of humans restrained Sam and Mikaela, forcing them to the ground. The other group surrounded Bumblebee. His cries were painful, Spark-wrenching shrieks that any creature would notice were desperate pleas for help. They became more and more piteous by the second as he was forced to the ground, the cables now fully taut, allowing him no extra movement. The humans started spraying him with some chemical, which seemed to be shutting down his motor functions._

_Sam unexpectedly appeared, grabbing one of the humans and using his own weapon against him. He was quickly stopped by the humans as they circled around Bee, still dousing him with the odd chemicals. Bee gave one last sorrowful moan as he fully went offline._

_**-Let's get outta here before they spot us.-**__ Jazz angrily spun around and left, not caring whether or not Ironhide and Ratchet followed him. He couldn't watch anymore._

_Jazz and the others waited until the last of the humans had disappeared from the area before finally meeting up with Optimus. Jazz started changing before he had come to a stop. Ratchet and Ironhide parked nearby. Jazz motioned for them to stay hidden and they didn't object, knowing why Jazz was so upset._

"_Hang back, let me check it out." Jazz slipped through a gap between two of the pillars on the bridge before swinging down, his legs hanging freely in the air before he twisted and landed neatly on one of the lower support arches._

"_Optimus," Jazz began, following Optimus as he moved effortlessly from beam to beam. "are we jus' gonna stand here and do nothing?" he asked angrily._

"_There's no way to free Bumblebee without harming the humans." Optimus sighed wearily._

"_But it's not right—"_

"_Let them leave." Optimus said firmly, ending the discussion._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Jazz, I think I understand now," Cassie sniffed, wiping the tears that continued to fall._

"_Whaz that?"_

"_I know this sounds crazy, but I think Simmons thinks I'm you. I mean, after the way he treated Bumblebee," another set of tears started falling, Cassie trying furiously to wipe them away "I don't see any other reason."_

"_I don't get it, though," she continued, pulling her legs closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "How could Simmons think that Bumblebee was dangerous? He didn't do anything wrong. He was only trying to protect those two, whoever they were."_

"_He did lubricate the man," Jazz pointed out, chuckling a little._

"_Good point. But still, that isn't a good enough reason to capture Bumblebee and torture him." Cassie angrily replied._

"_I ain't arguing with ya, Cassie; I felt the same way you do now when Optimus wouldn't let us rescue Bee. What I don't understand is why yer leakin' again." _

"_It's your memory I saw, Jazz," Cassie said, her eyes shining with yet more tears. "It felt like my heart would break in half when I watched what happened to Bumblebee." Cassie buried her face in her arms. _

"_I'm scared, Jazz."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie opened her eyes, drying the real tears that were on her cheek. She sat up stiffly, her back sore from whatever she had been laying on. Her hands had been untied at some point while she had slept, but angry red welts encircled both of her wrists from all of the struggling she had done earlier. She gently massaged her wrists, trying to focus on something other than the dull, throbbing pain.

She had obviously been moved from the plane and placed in some type of cell. The walls were gray and cracked with age, the floor a mess of various stains. A single lightbulb dangled limply from the middle of the ceiling, its weak light barely lighting up the room. The only other recognizable piece of object in the room was the broken mattress she had been laying on. There were numerous holes dotting the faded fabric.

Cassie sat there, listening to the noise of footsteps outside her room. The feet halted right outside her cell, and Cassie's stomach dropped as she heard Simmons' voice just beyond the door.

"I'll only be in for a few minutes; I want to check on the condition of N.B.E. Alpha."

The door opened and Simmons stepped in. Cassie didn't think it was possible for anyone's face to smirk that much.

"So, you're finally awake, N.B.E. Alpha," he started, gazing at her like she was some high-placed trophy he had won. "That's good. It would do us no good if you died before we could fully test your capabilities."

"Look, I don't know what you think I am, but you've got the wrong person, creature, N.B.E, whatever you call them," Cassie said, trying to reason with Simmons and keep her temper in check at the same time. "You have no right to keep me against my will like this. You're breaking multiple state and federal laws kidnapping me like this."

"Silence, N.B.E. Alpha. Our laws don't apply to N.B.E's, only humans," Simmons said, his own voice becoming irritated. "I don't have time to deal with you and whatever tricks you're up to."

"You are so ignorant and blind!" Cassie shouted, losing her hold on her temper. "What does it take for you to get it?"

"I have other important matters to attend to now," Simmons said, ignoring her shouts and moving to open the door.

Cassie couldn't hold back any longer; all of the anger, fear and desperation came out as she lunged for Simmons, knocking him to the ground just as he turned his back to her. They fell to the ground in a tangled heap, Cassie punching and hitting every part of Simmons she could reach. Reality set in quickly; Cassie was no match for the full-grown man as he rolled over and sent a kick in her direction, missing her by inches. Cassie responded by kicking him smartly on the shin. Simmons howled out in pain, cursing as Cassie readied for another kick.

The door was abruptly flung wide open; the guards undoubtedly had heard Simmons' yells and had come in to take charge of the situation. They each grabbed one of Cassie's arms and twisted them behind her back, stopping her from kicking Simmons again.

Simmon's stood up, leaning more on his uninjured leg. He dusted off his jacket before facing Cassie.

"Now, remind me once again who is in control?" Simmons sneered.

"Not you," she retorted. Without hesitating, Cassie spat at him, hitting him squarely on the cheek, just below his right eye.

Simmons said nothing for a few moments, taking the time to deliberately wipe his face off.

"I believe," Simmons said, every syllable resonating with fury. "that N.B.E. Alpha needs to learn who exactly is in charge here."

Simmons left the room, closely followed by the two guards dragging Cassie. She had no choice other than to be led away and down another hallway.

_This isn't going to end well._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Simmons returned to N.B.E's holding cell an hour later. He wanted to ensure that both of the guards had enough time to _teach_ N.B.E Alpha the meaning of the word "respect", and a few other things as well. He paid no attention to the guards, who seemed to be standing rather stiffly. Simmons pressed his ear against the cold metal, listening for any sounds to come from inside.

Nothing.

Simmons stepped back, smiling. It seems that his guards had done their job well. He started to congratulate them, but stopped almost instantly as he studied the two men more closely in the dim light.

Both of them looked worse than he had ever seen them. One of the agents was sprouting a large gash across the back of his right hand, along with a large bruise forming near his hairline. The other man didn't look any better. His face and arms were covered with small scratches, giving him the appearance of having been attacked by a dozen rabid cats. He was also hunched over slightly, obviously attempting to stand as still as possible.

"What happened?" Simmons sighed, rubbing his forehead. He could feel a huge headache coming on.

"Sir, we, uh, had a bit of a problem with **it**. It seemed weak at first, but after we let go of it, it went crazy," Agent Bonnefield explained. "It went for Delong first sir," he said, pointing to his hunched-over comrade. "I know this sounds weird, but it seemed to know the sensitive parts of the human anatomy, because it kicked him straight in the—"

"Stop," Simmons said, holding up a hand. "I can guess what the outcome was. So, how exactly did you finally subdue it?"

"Luckily, the shock collar I had placed on it before we left was still working." Bonnefield pulled out a small, gray remote and handed it to Simmons. "We only shocked it until it gave in and dragged it back here. It should be unconscious for some time."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Fine. It seems that we have underestimated N.B.E. Alpha's abilities, and we will need to take extra precautions the next time we handle it. As for both of you, I will find replacements so that you can have your injuries looked at by one of the scientist."

Cassie chuckled as she listened to the conversation outside, but stopped almost immediately as another wave of pain seared through her body.

Although Cassie had fought back and given the men a couple of injuries, she had come out worse than both of them combined. Luckily, her mother was a nurse and had taught her everything she knew about injuries, mainly because Cassie was almost constantly injuring herself accidentally. Even with this knowledge, Cassie was in bad shape.

Her left arm was hanging limply at her side, the only position she could bear to keep it in. She couldn't tell exactly where it was broken, but every time she moved it, it only added to her misery. It was difficult for her to breathe, so she assumed that she had a few bruised or cracked ribs, neither of which were a good thing. She had a few red blotches on her stomach as well as her leg. Cassie knew that by tomorrow they would turn into nasty-looking bruises. She gingerly eased herself onto the old mattress, keeping her injured arm on her stomach.

'What am I going to do? I need to get to a hospital soon, otherwise I'll only get worse.' Cassie thought as she closed her eyes, blocking out a fresh wave of pain.

'Cassie?'

Cassandra nearly fell off the mattress as she heard Jazz's voice.

"Jazz, where are you?" she whimpered, not believing he was near.

'Cassie? Are ya okay?'

"Okay, I know I heard you that time. Stop hiding and get me out of here."

'Cassie, can you hear me?'

Cassie stopped talking, realizing that he couldn't hear her talk for some reason. "Maybe he can..." Cassie cleared her mind and thought what she wanted to say.

'Jazz?'

'Cassie? Whaz goin' on? What happened?'

'Well, at least I don't have to fall asleep any more to talk to you,' Cassie murmured. 'Long story short: I kicked Simmons ass, he got pissed and had two of his guards turn me into pulp.' Cassie said angrily, the pain starting to annoy her.

'Are ya hurt?'

'Yeah, I'll live, but I don't know how much more I can handle. There's no way Simmons is going to get me to a hospital since he thinks I'm a dangerous N.B.E.'

Cassie waited for Jazz's response, but he didn't say anything.

'Jazz, listen. I need help fast, and the only way I'm going to get it is if I can reach Bumblebee again.' Cassie waited for him to respond.

'Are ya sure you can take it this time?' Jazz asked her, his voice worried. 'Last time ya tried tha', ya couldn't hold it. It might only make things worse for ya.'

'Jazz, I've got to try; Bumblebee is probably my one shot for both you and me to survive this.'

Jazz paused even longer this time before saying, 'Primus, help us...'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bumblebee, Ironhide and Prowl were all relaxing in the Autobot rec room, a container of Energon in front of each of them.

"So, when is 'Jack supposed to get here?" Ironhide directed at Prowl.

"The last comm. I received from him stated that he would be here soon, probably in about two to three Earth cycles," Prowl said, taking a long drink of Energon. "I wouldn't doubt," he added, "that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are heading for Earth as well."

"Too bad there aren't any Decepticons headed this way, I've been itching to see some real action," Ironhide muttered, draining the last of his Energon. "How about you, Bumblebee?"

Bumblebee twirled his Energon container idly, missing Ironhide's question.

"Bumblebee," Ironhide said, gently nudging Bumblebee in the arm, "are your sound receptors offline?"

"What?" Bumblebee said distractedly. "Yes, I hope Bluestreak can also arrive safely." He reached to finish off his Energon but stopped, his blue optics widening in alarm.

"Bee, what's wrong?" Ironhide questioned, noticing Bumblebee's sudden change in behavior.

" 'Hide, it's...it's her again."

"What in Primus' name are you talking about?"

"It's the same distress signal I received earlier last cycle. Where's Optimus?"

"I believe he was in a meeting with the humans," Prowl informed Bee. "Why—"

Bumblebee didn't wait to hear the rest of the question. He dropped his Energon container and sprinted from the rec room, knocking Ratchet to the ground on his way out.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Ratchet thundered at the rapidly disappearing yellow mech, but Bumblebee didn't stop. Ratchet watched him turn the corner, sliding a little before heading down a different hallway.

The doors of the rec room slid open again, this time Ironhide and Prowl stepping out.

"What's gotten into Bumblebee?" Ratchet demanded.

"He said something about receiving a distress signal, but I didn't fully understand why he seemed so upset," Prowl said, extending a hand to help Ratchet up.

"We'd better follow him," Ratchet grumbled, turning around and heading after Bumblebee.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, I think that's a good enough place to stop...

(sees angry mob of readers) What? You don't like cliffhangers? Too bad. XD

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!

P.S. If anyone cares, the musical score for the movie comes out Tuesday, October 9th, and the movie itself comes out on the 16th. Yayyyy!!!!!!


	12. A Rescue?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers. If I did, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe would be "chibified" for better huggability. XD

This update was unexpected. I really was going to wait until next week, but then I got the score for Transformers and WOW. I haven't gotten tired of listening to it yet. It's just so well composed and I really like some of the pieces; it was really inspiring.

Anywho, I believe I owe a "Thank you" to Taibade, who has returned from wherever she was to beta this chapter again. Thanks a bunch!!

Another "Thank you" to Elita-One for helping once again!

Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter! This is turning out to be much more fun than I had originally planned it to be...

**SPECIAL:** After much consideration, I decided last chapter to enable the annonymous reviews. So now anyone can review! I think a lot of you had already read that chapter and didn't see the note I put on it after I enabled it. Sorry!!!

**Enjoy!!**

* * *

"Hope is the expectation that something outside of ourselves, something or someone external, is going to come to our rescue and we will live happily ever after."

-Dr. Robert Anthony, Self help author

* * *

**Chapter 12: ****A Rescue?**

"Optimus, look, I know that I said we would respect your privacy and all that," Lennox explained, staring up at the red and blue mech, even though Optimus was sitting. "But this is the only way that Secretary Keller or I could convince anyone else to let you stay here."

Optimus moved to speak, but Lennox raised a hand to stop him. "Let me finish."

"I know what you're going to say. 'Why can't they trust us? We did just save their planet not less than half a month ago.'" Lennox started pacing back and forth across the large metal table. "I would be saying the exact same thing in your situation, Optimus," Lennox finally stopped pacing to finish his thought, "but I swear that this will be the only thing you have to do. These two were actually involved in the events when the Decepticons attacked our defenses. The girl is a genius, as well as her friend. Although, to be honest," Lennox muttered, "he seems more interested in playing video games than working for the government."

"Lennox, calm down, I agree with Secretary Keller." Optimus stated.

"Look, I know you won't—what?"

"I agree with Secretary Keller, Lennox," Optimus said, lowering his hands. "If this is the only way to show the other humans we mean no harm, then I will allow it."

"What exactly will they be doing?" Sam interrupted from his sitting position on the table.

Optimus shifted to answer, but the sudden appearance of Bumblebee sliding into the room cut him off.

"Optimus!" Bee shouted, crashing into the table. The resulting vibrations sent Lennox to his knees, while Sam and Mikaela fell backwards.

"Bumblebee, what is it?" Optimus said, getting up and helping the fallen mech to his feet.

"Optimus, it's the same distress signal I received earlier."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Bumblebee, are you there?-**

**-Yes, I am here.-**

**-That's good. I was afraid I couldn't hold on as long this time.-**

**-Where are you?-** Bumblebee asked, stalling so that Optimus could join in the link as well.

**-I don't know, they keep moving me to different locations.-** Bumblebee felt a slight buzz as Optimus linked up with his own comm.

**-Bumblebee, are you still transmitting?-**

**-Who are you?-** the voice fearfully asked.

**-I am Optimus Prime. Who are you?-**

**-My name is— -** the answer cut off.

**-Bumblebee, what happened to the link?-** Optimus ordered sternly. **– I've lost contact with the femme.-**

**-I'm still connected, Optimus, but she's not responding.-**

**-Keep the link active as long as you can.-** Optimus replied as Ratchet, Ironhide and Prowl walked in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Optimus, what's going on?" Sam asked as he helped Mikaela to her feet.

"Bumblebee is receiving a private comm. from an Autobot," Optimus announced.

"So his comm. system was fine," Ratchet said. "Who is it from?"

"That's the problem, Ratchet; we can't get an identity from the femme at all."

"Wait, wait, a femme?" Mikaela interrupted, saying exactly what Sam and Lennox were thinking. "What's a femme?"

"Well, to put it in your terms, Mikaela," Ratchet explained, "a femme is the equivalent of a female Autobot. What's surprising, though, is that there is one here on Earth. We have had no communications with any other surviving Autobots besides Prowl."

"Huh, so I guess giant robots have ladies too," Lennox whispered to Sam. "I'd hate to see what kind of femme Ironhide would have; she'd probably be just as trigger happy as he is."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Sam snickered.

"I heard that," Ironhide muttered loud enough for Sam and Lennox to hear, his right cannon humming softly.

"Ironhide, now is not the time." Optimus stepped between Ironhide and the two humans. "Prowl?"

"Right away." Prowl responded immediately and walked over to Teletraan-I. His fingers danced across the giant keyboard, his optics focusing on multiple screens at once.

"What's he doing?"

"Shhh, Sam, just let him work," Mikaela hissed.

"Tracking the link now." Prowl said, his hands still moving furiously. A faint beeping soon appeared on the screen.

"Optimus, the signal is approximately one hundred miles from our present location. From the human's mapping of the area, it is coming from an abandoned military facility."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Bumblebee?-**

**-Yes? Do not worry, we are tracking your position right now.-**

**-Please hurry. I'm hurt, and I can't escape.-** the femme's voice sounded weak, as if she was straining to maintain the link.

**-Why can't you escape? Didn't you land safely when you entered the atmosphere?-**

**-No, I mean I've been captured by some guy named Simmons, and he keeps calling me an N.B.E for some reason. I have no idea what— -**

**-Simmons? That human captured you?-** Bumblebee commed angrily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Optimus, the femme is in more trouble than we realized," Bee said. "Simmons has her."

"What?" Sam and Mikaela said simultaneously.

"Are you sure, Bee?" Lennox questioned. "I thought that Simmons didn't have that power any more." Bumblebee didn't respond.

"Bumblebee?"

"I've...I've lost the link. It's gone." He looked at Optimus, waiting for him to respond.

"Did the femme transmit any other information before the link was terminated?"

"Yes, she mentioned that she was injured." A loud blast rocked the room as one of the Autobot-sized chairs suddenly exploded. Everyone turned to Ironhide.

"What are you all looking at me for?" he asked innocently. "It wasn't me." He pointed a finger accusingly at Ratchet. Everyone looked at the medic in mild surprise as a small gun folded itself back into his arm.

"Optimus, I've about had it with this Simmons human. I cannot allow another Autobot to come under his control. Look what happened when he captured Bumb—"

"That's enough, Ratchet." Optimus growled. Ratchet stepped back, folding his arms in an angered expression.

"I agree with Ratchet. Prowl, you will stay here while Ratchet, Bumblebee, Ironhide and I retrieve the femme. If any other Autobots arrive, I want you to inform them of the situation."

"Understood, Optimus."

"We're coming with you guys." Sam said, indicating the three humans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Simmons had lost it.

"What do you mean, you need more time?" his voice shook as he glared at the scientist. The short, balding man pushed his glasses back up his sweating nose, holding his clipboard in front of like a shield. Even though he was the head of the N.B.E research team, that still didn't protect him from Simmons' wrath.

"Sir, we've been running every type of diagnostic possible on N.B.E. Alpha for the past five hours." He motioned warily at a nearby table. The N.B.E lay there unconscious, strapped tightly to a large metal table. Multiple machines and wires were hooked to almost every part of its body, measuring everything from heart rate to brain activity.

"And?"

"Sir, these results are just astounding; N.B.E. Alpha is just extraordinary. It has somehow copied the skeletal structure of a human perfectly. Not only that, but every organ, nerve and blood vessel is in order. Not even a single strand of DNA is out of place." The scientist positively beamed, expecting praise from Simmons.

Without warning, Simmons lunged for the nearest table and upturned it. Beakers and bottles of different fluid samples went crashing to the floor, the glass shattering instantly. Simmons grabbed the small man by his collar and slammed him into a huge computer server.

"You mean to tell me," he demanded, his voice trembling with restrained rage, "that you have spent this entire time doing tests only to tell me that that thing is a human being?"

"Nononono, sir, I wasn't finished yet, let me explain," the man pleaded. Simmons let go of the scientist and stepped back, letting the man regain his breath.

"There was one oddity in the results that I wanted to mention specifically, relating to the blood tests." He paused for a moment, coughing violently before continuing. "As I stated earlier, the blood seems to be normal, just like any other human. However, we also found something unusual circulating throughout the artificial blood stream." At this statement, he turned to his laptop and pulled up a video file.

"What is that?" Simmons stared at the screen.

"This is an energy signature," the scientist explained, pointing to the bright blue bolts of light that appeared frequently within the image. "We have studied it closely, and have found that it is similar in nature to the one from the original N.B.E. We are still analyzing the data at this time, but this is the one, solid proof we have that this thing isn't human."

The scientist waited for a reaction from Simmons. Simmons continued to stare at the screen, his face unreadable. He finally stood up and turned back to the N.B.E.

"I want to be informed as soon as you find any more information." Simmons gently grazed the synthetic skin on N.B.E Alpha's forearm. The N.B.E. shook violently, and opened it eyes to look at him. For a moment, Simmons' could have sworn that the eyes were bright blue, but when he blinked, they were the same brown eyes, filled with pain and anger.

Simmons left the room and headed for the cafeteria. A tuna sandwich sounded nice...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, for an abandoned building, there are a lot of people here." Sam joked.

Sam, Mikaela and Lennox gazed at the base from their hiding position some hundred yards away. The base was definitely not abandoned; armed guards patrolled around the entire area along with security cameras watching where the guards couldn't. The surrounding area was full of vehicles, ranging from the standard car to giant military transport vehicles.

"Sssshhhhh, Sam, do you want them to find us?"

"Mikaela, were like a mile away, I don't think that they're going to see us hiding way out here." Sam slid back down the hill and headed back to the Autobots, who had remained hidden in their alt-modes.

"Bee, are you sure that there is an Autobot inside that building?" Sam asked, trying to hide the fact that he didn't want to go rushing into a building with fifty fully armed men.

"Yes, Sam." Optimus answered instead. "The signal is emanating from inside, most likely from the center. The distress signal is weak, but it is there nonetheless." Sam was surprised to hear the angry tone from Optimus. The last time he had heard Optimus this angry, he and Mikaela were sitting in a newly fashioned open-top SUV. Literally. "We need to act quickly to retrieve the Autobot."

"Optimus, you can't just go charging into a base." Mikaela pointed out. "There could be innocent people inside."

"Mikaela has a good point," Lennox said thoughtfully.

"What do you suggest, then, Captain Lennox?"

"Let us go inside and find the femme. We can sneak in undetected and find out where the femme is. But we will need a distraction," Lennox finished with an odd smile, looking straight at Ironhide.

"Don't worry about a thing, Lennox. I've been itchin' to have some fun."

"Ironhide."

"What, Optimus, it's not like Simmons doesn't deserve this."

"Once we get near, we'll give you the signal to move 'Hide," Lennox said, pulling out a handgun. "Let's go, Sam and Mikaela."

Optimus and the others watched as Lennox, Sam and Mikaela climbed into Ironhide and sped towards the base.

"Bumblebee, have you reestablished a comm. with the femme?"

"I've been trying, Optimus, but something is interfering with it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lennox, I don't like this."

"I agree with Mikaela, Lennox," Sam said before quickly adding "sir."

"I don't like it either, Mikaela." Lennox replied, peering down the hallway. "If I were in charge, I would have more guards on patrol in the hallways, but there's no one here."

"Well," Sam began, "if I were hiding a huge, twenty-foot giant robot, I would need a really, really big room. Something the size of a gym or something."

"Well, then, I think we've found out where their holding the femme," Lennox said, pointing to the sign just above their heads that read "Testing Facility Ahead—Authorized Personnel ONLY." He pulled out his cell phone and contacted Ironhide.

"Let them have it," he said with a grin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What is taking so long?" Simmons yelled, pacing back and forth. "Do you idiots realize that N.B.E. Alpha could have contacted the others by now?"

"Sir, we're working as fast as we can."

Before Simmons could yell again, the fire alarms started ringing.

"Stevens, what's going on?" Simmons shouted into the walkie.

"Sir, two of the main generators exploded!" Stevens' voice shrieked from the speaker. "The fire's spreading and we need to evacuate the building now!"

"Fine, see to it that the entire facility is evacuated. I will take care of N.B.E Alpha."

Simmons looked up to see that the entire room was empty, except for him and the N.B.E.

"Cowards," he muttered, heading for the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three of them watched as a horde of frightened scientists ran down the adjacent hallway, heading for the nearest exit. Cleary, Ironhide had done his job.

"Let's move," Lennox said once the last of the scientists had rushed past them. He started moving towards the door, but stopped before he got two steps and ducked back down the hallway.

"Get back and stay quiet," he hissed, shoving Sam and Mikaela roughly behind him.

"Lennox, what's the matter?" Sam whispered.

"It's Simmons."

Sam and Mikaela watched silently as Simmons came clearer into view, mumbling something. He didn't even notice the three of them standing right next to him as he stopped.

Lennox stepped out of the shadows. "Hi, Simmons, how's it going?"

Simmons jumped at hearing Lennox's voice.

"You," he growled as Sam and Mikaela also stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what we want to know," Sam asked. "Where is the Autobot?"

Simmons looked like he had run into a wall.

"How do you...?"

"Where is she?" Mikaela demanded.

"Why would I tell you where N.B.E Alpha is?" Simmons sneered.

"You don't have to tell us," Lennox pointed his gun at Simmons. "You can just show us. Lead the way."

Simmons didn't move.

"Lead the way," Lennox said more forcefully, pushing the barrel into Simmons chest.

Sam and Mikaela followed as Simmons regrettably trudged back the way he had come.

When they reached the door, Simmons pulled out a key and unlocked it.

"Thanks, Simmons, you've been a real help," Lennox said before punching Simmons straight in the face. Simmons landed in a heap, his head bouncing against the cement floor. Lennox pulled the door open and stepped inside, Sam and Mikaela following close behind.

The group had stepped into what looked like a giant science lab. Most of the room was taken up by a huge array of computers and different machines, each humming softly, various lights and buttons flashing sporadically. The space that wasn't taken up by the computers was occupied by tables full of beakers and bottles full of unidentifiable liquids and various chemicals, many of which Sam didn't even try to pronounce.

The only thing that was missing was the femme.

"Man, Mikaela, we are going to get so busted for breaking into a government base, injuring a man, and not to mention that trigger-happy Ironhide just set the entire building on fire!" Sam moaned after they spent five minutes searching the room.

"Lennox, Sam's right, there's nothing here."

"Get over here you two, now!" Lennox shouted from across the room, his voice oddly worried. Mikaela and Sam rushed over, thinking he had found a clue to the missing Autobot.

"What did you find?" Sam asked excitedly.

"Not what, who."

Sam and Mikaela stopped abruptly, both feeling just as shocked as Lennox looked.

"Oh, this is bad; this is really, really bad." Sam moaned again.

"What is going on here?" Lennox said as they stared down at the girl. She looked young, not much older than either Sam or Mikaela. She was strapped down tightly to the table, only a few inches in between each strap. Her clothes were ragged; there were numerous large holes in her jeans and her shirt was almost ripped in two. Underneath the clothes, her body was marred by nasty-looking bruises and multiple cuts. Lennox noticed that her left arm looked swollen, even against the restraints. They just stood there unmovingly, reeling from the horrible sight.

"Here, Mikaela, hold this," Lennox said abruptly, recovering from the shock quickly and thrusting his gun into her hands. He pulled out a small knife and started working furiously to cut each strap.

"Sam, call Bee, tell him and the others to get here now."

"Sure, yeah," Sam replied distractedly. He walked away as Lennox continued to work on the restraints. He worked quickly, her lower half freed within minutes. Sam returned as Lennox toiled to carefully remove the restraints on the upper half.

"Bee and the others are coming." Sam said as he walked back.

Lennox said nothing, still focused on removing the last of the straps. As the last one was cut, the girl shifted, coughing roughly. Her eyes struggled to open.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Lennox said as he put away his knife.

"Yes," her voice cracked. "Is Bumblebee here?" she asked weakly, her face twisting into a grimace. Sam tripped over one of the nearby chairs in shock.

"How does she know about Bumblebee? You don't think she is..."

"We don't have time for that now, Sam, we can ask her about that later," Lennox snapped. "All we need to worry about now is getting this girl to a hospital." Lennox gently slid his hands underneath and eased the girl into his arms. They headed out the back door to where Optimus and the others were waiting.

"Lennox, where is the femme?" Optimus demanded. "And who is this human?" he said, indicating the girl in Lennox's arms.

"I don't know, Optimus, this girl was the only one in the room." Ratchet moved closer to Lennox, scanning the injured girl in his arms.

"Optimus, this young human is badly injured. She needs immediate medical attention," he said before shifting into his alt-mode, the back doors of his Hummer swinging open.

"We need to take her to a hospital, Ratchet," Lennox said as he stepped into the back and set the girl carefully on the small mat. Ratchet shut the doors and sped away, Optimus and the others following closely behind. "I can stabilize her until we get there."

"I would prefer taking her to the Autobot base." Ratchet's voice echoed through the back as a small compartment opened up. "I know enough of Earth's medical procedures that I could take care of her there."

"I don't doubt that Ratchet," Lennox said reaching into the compartment. He pulled out a large roll of bandages and started wrapping the girl's arm. "but I would feel better if we let human doctors take a look at her first."

"Fine, I'll inform Optimus."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

-Ratchet, what's going on?- Bumblebee commed, his engine revving loudly. He had the comm. system on loudspeaker so that Sam and Mikaela could listen as well.

**-I'm taking the girl to a human hospital at the request of Lennox.-**

**-What? Why are you doing that?-** Ironhide asked angrily. **–What about the femme?-**

**-That girl is the femme.-** Ratchet replied curtly.

**-Are you out of your processor, Ratchet?-** Ironhide said after a few moments of stunned silence. **–How in the Pits did you come up with that?-**

**-When I scanned her, I noticed that she had an odd energy signature about her. I quickly did a more thorough analysis, and found that she was emitting a distress signal identical to the one that contacted Bumblebee.-**

The silence in the air was thick. It was a few minutes before Optimus spoke.

**-Ratchet, hurry.-**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Agent Simmons, sir, can you hear me?" Stevens shook him roughly.

"What?" Simmons groggily asked.

"Sir, we have a problem," Stevens said, helping Simmons to his feet. "N.B.E Alpha has escaped somehow." Amazingly, Simmons didn't yell at him. Instead, he smiled.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Yes, Agent Stevens, I'm perfectly fine. In fact, this is exactly the ways things were designed to go."

"Sir, I'm afraid you didn't hear me: I said that N.B.E Alpha escaped."

"I heard you perfectly," Simmons said, pulling out what looked like a GPS. Stevens noticed a small dot heading further and further off screen.

"Sir, what...?"

"Now, all we do is wait." Simmons headed off down the hallway followed by a very confused Agent Stevens.

* * *

Now, I don't know about you, but damn, I hate Simmons. XD 

Reviews will greatly help speed up the next time I update so please review!

Sideswipe: Hey, I thought you said we'd been in this chapter.

Me: I didn't say that. I said you would come in later.

Sunstreaker: What does "chibified" mean? It sounds like something Ratchet would do to us...

Me: Uhhhhh, ummmm, Bye! (runs away)

**Next time**: They thought she was safe...


	13. Recovery

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers. I do, however, own a copy of the newly released movie. XD

**A/N:** I'm so sorry, everyone. This chapter hated me so much!!!!! I don't know if it was because it was chapter 13 or what, but man, this thing did not want to be written. AT ALL. It seemed like I couldn't write two paragraphs w/o having to go back, add stuff in, delete stuff and just basically rewrite everything. I swear, I almost deleted five pages worth in frustration. Grrrrrrrrr... I don't think I would even care if some people started flaming this story because of this chapter.

Hopefully, the next chapters will come more easily!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and to all of you who added this story to your favorites list!! Once again, a big hearty thank you goes to Atheryne on dA and Taibade here on fanfic for helping beta and pushing this chapter!

And, as a side note, if anyone cares, as of this chapter being posted, on Friday, October 26th, I am officially 20 years old!!!!!!

Really, I mean it. My family didn't, though. We celebrated on Thursday and they totally thought I was turning 19! Again! T-T

Enjoy!

* * *

"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery."

-- **J.K. Rowling**, author of the Harry Potter series

**Chapter 13:** Recovery

"Can't this Hummer go any faster, Ratchet?" Lennox demanded as he finished wrapping the girl's swollen arm. Lennox slid back a few inches as Ratchet revved his engine, his tires squealing as he sharply turned a corner.

"How far until we reach the nearest hospital?" Lennox asked as he moved back to the girl's side. In the bright light of Ratchet's cab, the girl looked even worse than when he had found her in the lab.

"Not long. We should arrive within fifteen Earth minutes."

"Ratchet, do you really believe that this girl is a femme?" Lennox tugged carefully at the large, white collar around her neck. It wouldn't come off.

"Lennox, I would leave that alone," Ratchet warned.

"I know what this is, Ratchet, that's why I'm trying to take it off," Lennox answered angrily. "And stop avoiding the question. Is this girl an Autobot or not?"

Ratchet hesitated briefly before responding, sounding a little confused himself.

"No, she is not. She is fully human, yet I am certain that she was the one who emitted the signal. How she can, though, is the question. It's as if..." his voice trailed off, mumbling to himself.

Lennox was silent for a moment, still working furiously to break the collar.

"Damn, if I ever see Simmons again..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bee? How is she?" Sam asked, knowing Mikaela wanted to ask the same question.

"Ratchet says she is stable at the moment, thanks to Lennox." Sam noticed that Bumblebee's voice seemed just as worried as he and Mikaela felt.

"Bumblebee," Mikaela interrupted, "when Lennox found her, she asked about you. She said 'Is Bumblebee here?' Do you know her?"

"No, Mikaela, I don't."

"Okay, does anyone else's head hurt?" Sam asked after another long stretch of silence, rubbing his temples. "I'm so lost here. How is it that we followed what Bumblebee said was an Autobot distress call and instead of finding a femme or whatever, we find a girl on the verge of death? I mean, it's not like Bumblebee can suddenly change into a human." Sam paused for a moment, clearly rethinking what he had said.

"Bumblebee, can you guys look, you know, like us?"

"In a sense, yes, Sam," Bumblebee answered. "I don't know exactly how to describe this in human terms, but I believe that the word "hologram" is close enough. We are able to project an image similar to a hologram, but it is more advanced, more so than what you believe a hologram to be. Most of the Autobots don't use it frequently, but we do for certain situations."

Sam spoke first, chuckling a little.

"Just when you thought there couldn't be any more surprises."

"Back to the subject," Mikaela said forcefully. "I don't think we're going to get any answers until that girl wakes up and tells us what happened."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ratchet arrived at the hospital's emergency entrance in less than ten minutes. Lennox opened the back doors and stepped out.

"Hey! You!" someone yelled. Lennox turned to see two doctors jogging towards him.

"You can't park that here," the closest one said, pointing at Ratchet. "This is a restricted zone. Move it now."

"Get out of the way," Lennox growled, grabbing the doctor and stepping aside to let Ratchet back straight up to the curb. "Go and call whoever you need to. There is a badly injured young woman inside this ambulance." The doctor who had stayed on the sidewalk peered inside Ratchet before moving towards Lennox, separating him from the other doctor.

"Charlie, go get a stretcher, now," he ordered hastily. Lennox let go of the young doctor and watched him hurry back inside, the doors opening and shutting with a slight hiss.

"What happened?" the doctor asked Lennox as they both waited.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam and Mikaela arrived just in time to see Lennox rushing inside with a group of doctors, one of them pushing a stretcher.

"I hope she'll be okay," Mikaela said softly, stepping out of Bumblebee and into the deserted entrance area.

"Don't worry, Mikaela," Sam said, grasping Mikaela's hand in his. "Let's go inside and wait for Lennox." Sam turned to Ratchet and Bumblebee. "Guys, I know you wanna talk with her, but I think it'd be better for us to talk with her first. Giant robots tend to, ya know, intimidate some people."

"Really, Sam?" Bumblebee answered sarcastically. Sam and Mikaela stood in shock, staring at the yellow Camaro. They had never heard him sound so annoyed, or was that anger in his synthetic voice?

"Bumblebee, Optimus and Ironhide are waiting for us nearby," Ratchet interrupted, his back doors shutting by themselves. Sam and Mikaela watched, still a little shocked, as Bumblebee and Ratchet moved away from the entrance, disappearing into the night.

"Did Bumblebee just...?"

"Let's just get inside, Mikaela, I don't want to know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lennox walked back slowly to the waiting room, seeing as the doctors had forced him out of the examination room. He noticed Sam and Mikaela sitting down, both of them looking worried. They watched him warily as he sat down, sighing slightly from exhaustion.

"Well?" Sam asked. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll live," Lennox answered wearily. "For the few minutes I was with the doctor, he told me that her injuries weren't life threatening. We'll just have to wait until they've finished treating her, but even then," Lennox sighed again. "it could be a couple days before she recovers enough to tell us what happened."

Lennox stared at the floor, his fingers laced together. Sam and Mikaela were silent, waiting for Lennox to continue. When he didn't, Mikaela tentatively asked, "Lennox, why would Simmons kidnap her? I mean, unless he's resorted to human experimentation..."

"Your guess is as good as mine, Mikaela," Lennox said, staring at both of them. "Like I said, only she can tell us."

Sam, Mikaela and Lennox sat in the waiting room for almost an hour. Lennox paced back and forth, his mind too preoccupied with the girl's condition to let him sit still. Mikaela's head was gently resting on Sam's shoulder, her eyes half closed. Sam's head was leaning on top of Mikaela's.

Lennox looked up as the doctor he had talked with outside earlier walked towards them, no doubt a medical chart clutched in his hands. He walked softly, his eyes noticing Sam and Mikaela resting quietly on the chairs.

"Come with me, please," he whispered to Lennox. He moved a few feet away, Lennox following close behind.

"So, how is she?"

"What would you like to hear first? My own personal guess as to what happened or the report on her injuries?" the doctor said, the slightest hint of anger in his voice.

"Her injuries," Lennox said, deciding that this was probably the "good news" on the doctor's list.

"Her left ulna had been popped out of the wrist, along with a few cracks down the length of the bone as well. It's amazing that it didn't break the skin. It is being casted right at the moment." He stopped, his head tilted slightly as he scanned down the list. "She has multiple bruises along both of her legs, as well as a few more serious bruises on her stomach area near the ribcage. Two of her lower ribs on her right side were badly bruised, as well as one on her left." The doctor paused for a moment to take a breath before continuing.

"Most of the cuts were only surface deep, and should heal up without any scars. Thankfully, she had no internal bleeding. If she did, she may not have lasted as long as she did. Many of her vital signs, such as heart rate, temperature and blood pressure were dangerously low, no doubt due to a severe case of dehydration and lack of food." The doctor looked up from the chart and stared at Lennox.

"Then there was this." The doctor held up the while collar that Lennox had unsuccessfully tried to remove. "Do you know what this is?"

"A shock collar," Lennox answered truthfully, staring unblinkingly at the doctor.

"Exactly. Now, I find it very difficult to believe that someone who was supposedly in a car wreck would be wearing one of these _voluntarily_."

Lennox promptly responded. "Doc, I don't know any more about this than you do. I was just trying to save an innocent life. Anything else?"

The doctor was silent for a moment, taken aback by Lennox's bold response.

"Yes, one more thing," the doctor held out his hand, wanting to give Lennox whatever he was holding. "I saw this after the X-ray came back." He dropped a small, black object into Lennox's hands. "It didn't seem to affect her in any way, but I had it removed nonetheless." His voice had changed into a soft, almost exasperated tone.

"If you have any other information about her, please let us know so we can contact her parents."

"Yeah, sure." Lennox said, looking at what the doctor had handed him. Why did it look so familiar?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam?" Someone shook his shoulders.

"Huhhh?" Sam opened his eyes wearily and glanced at his watch. 12:22 a.m. He rubbed his eyes for a moment and moved, forgetting that Mikaela had fallen asleep on his shoulders. His sudden movement caused Mikaela to wake up as well.

"Will, can we see her yet?" she yawned.

"Yeah, I was coming to take you guys up there. She's in room 314." Lennox waited for them to stretch their tired limbs before walking towards the elevator.

"So, how bad was it?" Sam asked once they were inside the small elevator.

"Short story? It was basically torture." Lennox answered flatly. The door opened with a soft _ding_, announcing they had reached their floor. Lennox turned purposely to the left and walked halfway down the hall before stopping at a door. He knocked once. No one opened it from the inside, so he walked in, stepping into the dimly lit room.

"The doctor said she'll be out for a while." Lennox said, choosing to lean against the window sill, letting Sam and Mikaela take the two open seats.

The girl was resting peacefully, no machines attached anywhere, save for the one needed to measure her heartrate. Her left arm, which had been recently wrapped in a cast, was resting comfortably by her side. No one moved for a few minutes, too focused on watching the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest.

"Hey, Sam, Mikaela, I promised Ironhide I would talk with him once we were certain she was safe." Lennox stood up straight, heading for the door. "I'll be back soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Captain Lennox is late.-** Bumblebee rumbled.

**-Take it easy, Bumblebee.-** Ironhide growled, revving his own engine. **–Captain Lennox will come when he can.- **Ironhide stopped as he noticed Lennox approaching towards them.

"Hey, guys," Lennox said as he climbed into Ironhide's passenger seat. He didn't sound at all like his normal, cheerful self. From his tone, Ironhide could only guess that he seemed upset, undoubtedly by the recent events.

"How is the young human female?" Ironhide questioned as Bumblebee joined the comm.

"So, I guess Ratchet told you, huh?" Lennox answered distractedly.

"Yes, he has informed everyone about the female." Ironhide waited for Lennox to respond. When he remained silent, Ironhide continued. "Optimus and Ratchet returned to the facility to find traces of the femme, but the facility was completely abandoned by the time they arrived."

"Bastard!" Lennox said, slamming his fist onto Ironhide's dashboard. The entire cab shook for a moment, catching Lennox off guard.

"Would you mind?" Ironhide demanded. "I can feel that, you know."

"Sorry, Ironhide," Lennox mumbled. "It's just, god, I can't take this!" He buried his face in his hands, his knees shaking.

"You are concerned for the female." Ironhide stated bluntly.

"Exactly! She's someone's little girl, Ironhide! She has a family somewhere, and they're probably worried sick. I mean," he voice trembled as he continued to rant. "I look at her in that hospital bed, and all I can see is my baby girl lying there, unconscious, clinging desperately to life! I can only think 'This could be my daughter lying there' and I hate it. How would I feel if my own daughter had been taken away and was being treated like some murderer?"

Ironhide remained quiet, letting Lennox vent out all of his anger.

"She's probably afraid, confused, and god knows what else went on in that lab that we don't know about. Once I know that this girl is going to be fine, I'm going to _personally _see to it that Secretary Keller knows what has happened. Then, I'm going to find Simmons and let him know exactly how I feel."

"Ironhide and I are staying here, Captain Lennox," Bumblebee's voice echoed loudly in the enclosed cab. "Ratchet wants to bring her to the base for more tests." Lennox stared at the dash for a moment, the smallest hint of a smile crossing his face.

"Don't get too worried, Bumblebee, I can guarantee you that she'll live."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Will, where are you? It's almost one in the morning."

"Hey, Sarah, sorry it's so late, I got caught in a car accident," Lennox lied uncomfortably.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" her worried tone seeped through the phone, making Will feel even more uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I wasn't in the accident, I just happened to be passing by and thought I would help." He heard her sigh across the phone.

"Was anyone seriously hurt?"

"Yeah, some girl was injured pretty badly," Lennox said as he walked towards the cafeteria, his stomach rumbling loudly. "They couldn't find any I.D. for the girl, so I'm going to spend the night and make sure she's okay." He walked around the corner, passing the reception desk.

"Will," she finally answered after some time. "Please be safe, you know how much I worry about you." Sarah waited for a response.

"Will?"

"Sarah? I'll call you back. I've gotta go."

"Will, is everything okay?" Sarah questioned, confused. One minute he sounded worried, the next, he voice was edgy, almost dangerous.

"Sarah, I need to go. I love you." He hung up abruptly, shoving the phone into his pocket. Silently, he edged back around the corner, breathing heavily. He headed for the stairwell, knowing it was too easy to be followed in the elevator.

_How in the hell did Simmons find this place so quickly?_, he thought angrily as he rushed up the stairs, almost knocking a few doctors over in his hurry. _Doesn't matter, we need to leave now._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam, why do you think Simmons had her?" Mikaela asked a few minutes after Lennox had left.

"Dunno. I mean, the only thing that comes to mind is that he thought the same exact thing we did when Bee found her. Maybe he thought she was the femme."

"Oh, come on Sam, no one's that stupid," Mikaela argued. Sam gave her a look.

"You're serious?"

"Look, it's the only thing that fits, Mikaela. See, maybe, maybe..." Sam stalled for a moment, his mind a jumbled mess of theories. "Okay, say that Simmons was pissed for getting disgraced, okay? And, and the only way he can redeem himself is if he can capture another alien, like he did with Megatron, and prove that they can control it this time. Only...he messed up somehow? Maybe another Autobot did land nearby, but he thought she was the Autobot, huh?"

"Well, that still doesn't explain why she's been treated like this." Mikaela bluntly pointed out, puncturing Sam's theory. "And besides, I thought that Prowl was the only Autobot to arrive within the past week?"

"Okay, I give up. You try coming up with a reason if you think it's so easy."

Mikaela opened her mouth to say exactly what she thought, but she was cut off as Lennox unexpectedly opened the door.

"Hey, you're back early, I thought—"

"Shhh!" Lennox hissed, shutting the door behind him and locking it. "We're leaving, now." He walked over to the girl, shutting off the machine and removing it from the girl.

"Lennox, are you crazy? What are you doing?" Mikaela almost shouted.

"Simmons followed us here," Lennox explained hurriedly as he wrapped the blanket tightly around the girl's lower half. "Mikaela, open that cabinet, there should be a spare blanket in there."

"What? Simmons is here?" Sam asked, rushing to the other side of the bed. "How could he...?"

"This," Lennox held up what looked like a small, black pill. "I should have realized what it was sooner. You know those tracking devices owners put in their dogs so that they can find them if they run away or get lost for some reason?"

"Yeah?"

"That's exactly what that is. I bet Simmons knew she would get rescued by the Autobots sooner or later, and put this in her to use as a direct route to the base. If that doctor hadn't found this, we would've led him right to it." Lennox placed his arms underneath just as he did before. "Mikaela, hand me that blanket." He draped the blanket over the girl's head, concealing her face completely from view.

Sam moved towards the door, opening wide enough to allow Lennox walk out, the girl grasped firmly in his arms.

"All clear," Lennox said from hallway, glad that none of the nurses were walking around this hallway at the moment.

"Sam, call Bumblebee. Tell him and Ironhide to meet us at the back entrance."

Lennox slowly made his way to the emergency staircase, Mikaela in front of him, Sam following right behind, talking rapidly to Bumblebee. They had only made it down one flight of stairs when Sam hung up his cell phone.

"They're waiting for us outside, Lennox. It was weird, though," Sam said as they moved down the second flight of steps. "as I was hanging up, I swear I could hear the sound of cars being smashed together."

Lennox and the two kids arrived at the back entrance within minutes, luckily avoiding any encounters with either Simmons or the doctors. Ironhide and Bumblebee were waiting right out the back door, both of the engines humming loudly.

"Ironhide, we'll take the girl with us. Sam, you and Mikaela go with Bumblebee." Lennox shifted the girl in his arms. Ironhide opened his doors, allowing Lennox to place the girl on his back seat. Lennox took a moment to purposely throw the tracking device on the ground and stomp on it, his boot crushing it into a thousand, small pieces before climbing into the passenger seat, shutting the door.

"Let hurry and get out of here before Simmons can follow us."

"Don't worry about that, Lennox." Ironhide chuckled. "Bumblebee and I made sure that Simmons won't be able to follow us."

"Do I even want to know?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This woman was infuriating.

"I'm telling you, my daughter was in a car accident and was admitted to this hospital!" Simmons shouted in what he hoped was a convincing angry tone. "I demand that you let me see her right now."

"Sir, calm down," the nurse replied nonchalantly, popping her gum. "I can only allow you to see the patients if you have valid proof of the patient's identity."

"This is outrageous! I can't even see my own daughter, and she could be dying at this very moment!"

He waited, his nostrils flaring, as the nurse studied his expression.

"Fine. I'll let you in to see her, just promise me that you will calm down." Simmons shook his head in agreement.

"Well, the only new patient we've admitted to the hospital recently that fits the description of you daughter is in room 314," she said in a hushed tone. "I'll give you five minutes, and that's it."

"Thank you so much," he feigned, settling for what he hoped was grateful appreciation. He quickly headed for the elevator and stepped inside, Stevens and a few other men standing there, patiently waiting for him to return.

"Third floor," he ordered.

In no time at all, Simmons and the other men were walking down the hallway, their strides long and fast. They reached the door and threw it open. The room was empty.

"Damn, how did they know?" Simmons stared at the rumpled sheets. The top blanket was missing, revealing the bottom sheet, which was smeared with faint streaks of fresh blood. He grabbed the chart that hung at the foot of the bed and read it. No doubt this had been the room; the chart stated word for word the exact description of N.B.E. Alpha.

"Stevens, they knew we were coming," Simmons said, marching back out of the room. "They've can't have gone too far. We can follow them if we act quickly." Simmons rushed out of the room and practically flew down the stairs in his mad rush. They reached the front entrance within minutes and headed outside. Simmons pulled out the monitor and stopped.

"Sir?" Stevens asked.

"Not now, Stevens, this stupid device isn't working."

"Uh, sir, that's not what I was talking about." Simmons looked up, irritated that Stevens had interrupted him. "I don't think we'll be able to follow them at all."

Simmons swore violently. The three SUVs they had arrived in had been completely destroyed. There were no distinguishable parts anywhere; they had been smashed together so completely that it looked like one, huge ugly piece of art.

Simmons didn't even notice that his tracking device had disappeared off the screen entirely.

* * *

Well, there you have it, chapter 13 done and out of the way.

Sorry for any OOC's that are in this chapter.

Please read and review, it would be such a wonderful birthday gift!!!!!

That, or Sunny and Sides throwing me a surprise birthday party. XD

**Next chapter:** Cassie wakes up, only to wish she was still asleep...


	14. Awakening

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers universe. I simply create this story as a way to avoid doing homework.

A/N: Okay, look everyone, I feel so horrible that I wasn't able to update until now. Between work, school, family and more work, I haven't even been able to turn on my computer except for classes. I apologize so much, and I promise that I will never have this big of a break in between chapters. I swear.

Anyway, I forgot to mention this last chapter, but I thank all of the reviewers who have helped me reach beyond my goal of 100!! Thanks so much, you guys are awesome!!!!!!

Thank you Taibade, for betaing. Bunches of hugs!

And, if any of you who read/review this are also good at art, then I highly suggest you 1.) Read Lnzy1's fic "Transformers: Collateral Damage" ; 2.) Leave reviews and 3.) Follow her links to the TF meme she has on DeviantArt and do it and check out her awesome gallery. I'm working on mine right at this moment, so get moving!!! And don't forget to tell her who sent you XD

Enjoy!!!!

* * *

"All right! Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. Come on. Hup hup hup! Get your clothes on. Get ready. Got breakfast for ya. Look you get porridge..."

(shows the porridge bowl with a fried eggs and bacon smile)

"And it's happy to see ya!"

Mushu from Mulan

* * *

**Chapter 14:** Awakening

"_Cassie? Are ya awake yet?"_

"_Go away," she muttered back to him, her voice strained. Jazz watched the girl for some time, backing up a few steps to give her some space. _

"_I can' help ya' if I don't know what's bothering ya."_

"_Right now, the only thing that's bothering me is you." Cassie rolled over, her frame curled up, her back now facing him. "So, if you wouldn't mind taking the nearest exit and getting out of my head, I'd really appreciate that." _

"_Cassie, stop bein' so stubborn, we both know tha' I can' leave," Jazz walked around to face her and sat down. She glared back at him, but didn't move. "An' I don' think you're mad at me."_

"_Yes, I am," she replied angrily, her voice starting to rise. "Ever since I started dreaming about you and your stupid, slaggin' memories, my life has done nothing but spiral down and suck me into a deep, black hole." She paused a moment to take a deep breath before continuing._

"_I've been kidnapped, forcefully dragged onto a plane, thrown into a closet even Frodo would be squished in, flown to who knows where, treated like a prisoner on death row and given accommodations that are reserved especially for sewer rats." Jazz said nothing as Cassie continued shout at him, trying his best not to smile. He had never seen a human who could look and sound as angry as Ratchet after the twins had reorganized all of his medical tool and supplies, but Cassie was close to it._

"_Then, if that wasn't enough, I get the slag beat out of me, get shocked enough times to light a Christmas tree for a week, nearly starve to death and almost get to experience exactly what my biology frog went through. All of this, just because some guy named Simmons thought I was a giant alien mech, even though it was __**clearly**__ obvious I am only human." Cassie finished with a huff, her eyes filled with the same anger as when she had started her tirade._

"_Are ya done?"_

"_No, not yet." Cassie suddenly swung her leg out and kicked him just below the knee joint, the metal resounding with a muted ring. "Now I'm finished." She rolled onto her back once again, her eyes shut._

"_Wha' was tha' for?" Jazz shouted, Cassie's anger starting to affect him. "I ain't done anythin' to deserved tha'." Jazz waited for Cassie to answer, but she remained stubbornly silent._

"_Look, Cassie," Jazz finally said, his voice returning to normal. "I can' do nothin' but say I'm sorry for wha' happened to ya'. How do ya' think I feel? Here I am, stuck in some human femme's body, unable to do anythin', no way o' knowin' what's goin on 'cept through you. I don' even know if anyone else is alive, 'cept for Optimus and Bumblebee."_

"_Optimus? Wait, was he...?"_

"_Yeah, he was the one who talked with ya' the second time. An' if ya' can still remember, he was the one who wouldn' let us rescue Bumblebee." Jazz noticed that even though Cassie claimed to be angry, she had opened one eye curiously to watch him._

"_Hah! I knew ya couldn't stay mad at me!" he teased, gently nudging her right arm._

"_You're lucky," she smiled. "If I wasn't in so much pain, I would be kicking your aft right now." The smile faded instantly._

"_Cassie?" Jazz watched as, for the second time, she curled up, her head almost touching her knees, her right fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly._

"_Just...give me...a minute," she managed to sputter. Jazz waited patiently; the girl had been like this off and on for some time now. Cassie would curl up, attempting her best to block out the obvious pain. It would eventually fade and she would uncurl, her body covered with some type of fluid that he assumed was similar in nature and function to the coolant that normally flowed through his body._

"_Jazz," the girl spoke so softly that Jazz had to lean just a few inches away from her to listen._

"_Yes?"_

"_I'm sorry I yelled at you," Cassie weakly apologized. "I know it wasn't your fault, but I guess...I guess I needed someone to blame, someone to vent on and you were the closest perso-, I mean, Autobot." She sighed shakily, her body stretching sluggishly to become straight again. "I can normally handle pain pretty well; my mom always told me she's never known anyone who injures themselves as much as I have. Said I had some sort of weird affinity for pain or something." Cassie laughed weakly, her hand streaking through what she called "hair", letting it fall back onto her face._

"_I wonder if she knows," Cassie mentioned randomly, lost in her own thoughts. Her hands suddenly moved to cover her optics, rubbing them for a minute._

"_Who?"_

"_My mom." Cassie talked softly, ineffectively trying to mask the obvious hurt in her voice. "She probably thinks I lost my phone again. She has no idea... and Sable might be concerned, but she wouldn't worry about it for long, seeing as her family was going on vacation this weekend." Cassie moved to face Jazz but stopped, her brown optics suddenly alert._

"_Jazz, do you smell that?" she asked, inhaling deeply_

"_Uh, Cass, Autobots don't have olfactory receptors. At least, this one don'."_

"_Whatever," she waved her hand distractedly, too preoccupied with whatever odor had wafted into her dream to listen to him explain. "I know this may sound strange, Jazz, but I swear, it smells like I'm in a garage."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

A lone, tall white mech wandered through the halls of the Autobot base, stopping every few steps to check his surroundings. Clearly, he was lost.

"I know that Optimus wanted a meeting for some reason, but it could've waited until after I got a decent recharge," he said aloud to himself, scratching his head as he peered down the hallway. He had arrived to Earth less than ten breems ago and had had hardly any time to relax. "Now, which way did Bumblebee say to go..?" He gave up and opted to head down the right side, silently hoping that he would find some sort of map that told him he was going the right way.

He hadn't walked very far when he noticed something written in Cybertronian that read "Medical Bay".

"Maybe Ratchet can tell me where this meeting is..." the mech thought aloud before stepping forward. The doors hissed open softly, allowing the white mech to enter.

"Ratchet?" he asked hesitantly as he peered into the room, his voice echoing loudly. The main room was empty; no Ratchet, no Prowl, not even Ironhide. The white mech wandered past the two tables and searched the back room. Completely empty.

"Slag, I guess I'll have to keep looking." He returned to the main room and stopped, realizing sheepishly that Ratchet's computer would have the entire layout of the base in its system. He quickly searched through the computer's database until he found what he needed, realizing that he was heading in the right direction.

"What's this?" The unnamed Autobot pulled up Ratchet's most recently added files, scanning the contents rapidly.

"I can't say I'm surprised, though," the mech continued, his eyes smiling. "Wouldn't expect anything less from the Hatchet, although I'm curious as to why a report on internal structure injuries and repair methods of humans was the last file he looked at." He delved further into the file, his processor whirring with excitement.

"Hmmm, this is something new," he murmured, spotting an unusual file and opening it. The report was quite an anomaly; normally, Ratchet would ensure that each report listed every injury and known information on a patient, but this one was barely filled with any data. What made it even more intriguing was that the report contained human information.

A hushed noise, audible only to an Autobot's sensitive audio receptors, caused the white Autobot to turn away from the console. He scanned the room, his sensors picking up the same energy signature that Ratchet had noted on the human file. It took him some time before he noticed that he was not entirely alone in the medbay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hmmm, this is interesting." The loud voice reverberated across the room, drumming unmercifully against Cassie's ears. She groaned weakly, her lower chest a mass of dull, throbbing pain and unusual stiffness with each breath. Cassie shifted slightly, her eyes squinting tighter against the bright lights of her hospital room. She attempted to move her left hand to shield against the glaring lights, but the soft fabric of a blanket wrapped firmly around her body restricted her movements.

_That's right_, she mused. _Someone brought me here_.

Cassie relaxed somewhat, setting her good hand gently onto her chest. Her fingers grazed the rough texture, recognizing the familiar feel of medical bandages against her hand almost lazily. She accidentally touched one of her bruised ribs, causing her to moan quietly more out of surprise than pain.

_Whoops, better leave that alone._ Her hand stretched across her chest and found unsurprisingly that her other arm had been casted. _Huh, I guess I did break it then_. She fingered the uneven roughness of the hardened plaster, silently thanking whatever kind soul had saved her from that lab before she got any more injuries.

"It seems that the injured limb of the human has been wrapped with a white, fibrous material that has been combined with a mixture of calcined Gypsum. Apparently, when hydrogen oxide, or 'water', is mixed with the calcined Gypsum, the calcium sulphate within the Gypsum reacts, producing heat. It is then allowed to dry, forming a type of shell that is used to set the calcium frame in place and allow the human recovery system to take effect. Primitive, no doubt, but highly effective for their level of medical technology," the voice boomed again, sounding oddly excited.

_Geez, hasn't this guy heard of the word 'whisper'?_ Cassie thought angrily, shoving the blanket down and opening her eyes fully, wanting to yell at the doctor. Her voice failed her completely as she stared fearfully up at the source of the booming voice.

A pair of bright blue eyes, or what she assumed were eyes, stared down at her. They were focused rather uncomfortably on Cassie, gazing down at her in what she guessed was a curious expression. It was hard to tell, considering that his eyes were the only visible part of his face; everything else was covered by bands of shiny, gray metal stretching from one side of his head to the other. Cassie shifted her eyes from the oddly masked face to what looked like fish fins protruding from both sides of his head.

_Oh god, I must be dreaming still, because I'm staring at a giant mech that has somehow been crossed with a fish_. The fish mech noticed her movement and started speaking.

"You're finally awake," he spoke, surprisingly in perfect English. Cassie instantly recognized it as the annoying voice that had rudely brought her out of sleep, or into another dream. "I know that Ratchet wouldn't want me to disturb you, but I couldn't resist." The eyes squinted slightly, apparently smiling behind the mask. "Humans are such fascinating organics, especially you." Cassie noticed that whenever the fish mech spoke, the fins on the sides of his head would light up in the same, striking blue light as his eyes.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,_ Cassie thought frantically as her mind struggled to understand why she wasn't in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors, machines and the overwhelming stench of disinfectant. Cassie gulped noisily, her throat dry with fear. The mech noticed this and leaned even closer to her, his head barely feet away from hers.

'_Hey, Cassie, what's crackin'_?' Jazz's voice echoed cheerfully in her head, causing her to jump a few inches. She had completely forgotten that Jazz could talk to her when she was awake.

'Jazz, wha..., never mind, I'm not taking any chances.'

'_Huh, what are ya talkin' about? What's goin' on?_'

"Hmm, it seems Ratchet may have missed something in his initial scans," the mech said more to himself than Cassie. "Could be due to the odd energy signature that this human is emitting."

"Is your vocal processor damaged?" the mech directed back to Cassie, one of his giant black fingers reaching out toward her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Cassie screamed, throwing the blanket in the face of the mech. It worked perfectly; the fabric of the blanket wedging nicely in front of his eyes. The mech stood up abruptly, giving Cassie only a few seconds to act, but that was all she needed. She stumbled awkwardly off the mattress and headed for the edge of the table, not fully taking into account exactly where she was.

"Hmm, well, I can safely confirm that your vocal processors are functi—"the mech stopped short, realizing that Cassie was making a beeline straight for the edge.

Cassie continued running, her legs screaming out in protest against her sudden sprint, the muscles stiff from almost three days without any type of movement. She struggled with every step she took, fear fueling her awkward dash. She didn't care; all that mattered was getting away from the mech fish.

"Stop!" Cassie heard the mech shout, his voice reaching a high pitched metallic screech. She turned around, her face breaking into a triumphant smile as the mech started chasing her.

'_Cassie, wait! Ya' got it all mixed up!'_ Jazz screamed in her head. Cassie clamped her hand over her ears, attempting to block out both the screeching noise of the white mech and Jazz's sudden outburst.

"You can't keep me here, there's no wa—" her voice suddenly disappeared as her foot, instead of slapping against cold metal, hit the nothingness of open air. She attempted to stop, but her momentum ruthlessly carried her forward, sending her head first over the edge of the twenty foot high table.

For the second time in less than a minute, Cassie screamed louder than she thought was even possible.

'_Cassie? You do know tha' Wheeljack wasn't going to hurt ya'? He's an Autobot._' Jazz moaned. _'You jus' couldn't wait...'_

'Oh, that's so wonderful to know now,' Cassie retorted sarcastically. 'But don't you think I should have known that a few seconds ago...oh, I don't know, say, **before** I fell to my death?'

'_I tried, but ya' jus' kept screamin' your vocal processor out and wouldn't listen ta me.'_

'I hate you.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Earlier...**

"Enter."

Optimus looked up from the data pad in his hands as Ratchet walked in, the all-too familiar scowl etched across the medic's face.

"How is the human female?"

"Fine," Ratchet replied irritably as he settled into a standing position, his arms folded across his chest. "Her injuries are healing steadily, yet I am concerned that she is not awake yet. Lennox informed me that this prolonged recharge state is not healthy for her. As if I didn't know..." Ratchet huffed, his engines hissing slightly.

"Speaking of Captain Lennox," Optimus continued, ignoring Ratchet's last comment. "I have not seen him for some time. Sam and Mikaela seem to be missing as well." He eyed the medic questioningly.

"I practically had to drag the Captain out of the medbay," Ratchet explained, not the slightest change in his tone. "He seemed very concerned for the young female and would not leave the medbay until I assured him that she was not in any danger of offlining. I assume he went home, and as for Sam and Mikaela, they left a few breems ago, along with Bumblebee. I'm positive they have returned to their homes as well."

"And what of the energy signature?"

"I am waiting until her body is given more time to heal before I attempt a more thorough analysis. I have no idea what side effects our scanners could have on her body, and it would only make things worse if I prolonged or ever worsened her current state."

"Very well," Optimus set down the data pad on the pile and turned to face his chief medic. "I want you to report to me directly when the female has—" Optimus stopped mid-sentence, his optics widening.

"Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

"Did you hear that alarm?" he responded, his optics still wide. Ratchet listened warily, wondering if Optimus had been recharging enough lately. Almost immediately, Ratchet picked up the noise and surprised Optimus by swearing violently.

"I knew I should have locked the medbay!" Ratchet shouted as he rushed out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie fell, her hands reaching frantically to grab something besides the empty air around her. She closed her eyes, unable to watch herself smash against the fast approaching concrete floor.

The white mech didn't hesitate as he acted quickly, deftly catching the small human mid-air. She fell almost perfectly in his outstretched hands, her weight barely noticeable as she landed. He waited until she was securely sitting in his palms before lifting her up slowly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie slowly opened her eyes, her head still spinning from the unwanted rush. Bravely, she glanced down and saw with relief that the ground was still a good distance away.

"Are you hurt, human?"

Cassie turned her attention back to the white mech, his eyes narrowed in what she could only assume was concern. Cassie tried to speak, but her sudden fall left her mouth dry and scratchy, so she settled for shaking her head, hoping the Autobot would understand her. Apparently he did; the mech smoothly lifted her back up to the table and let her slide off his hands and onto the bed.

"Are you certain that you didn't injure yourself further?" the mech questioned again, his blue eyes staring at her unnervingly. "Your limbs seem to be vibrating abnormally and your heart rate is at an unhealthy level."

"Y-y-yes, I'm fine," she stuttered, her voice raspy and hoarse. Cassie watched as the mech noticeably relaxed, his shoulder sagging.

"Primus, Ratchet would have my aft if he knew—"

"'JACK!!!" an unfamiliar voice bellowed, ringing painfully against Cassie's already abused ears. Both she and the white mech turned to see the doors fly open, admitting a bright yellow mech with red stripes. A very angry yellow mech. He stopped at the foot of the table, his eyes glaring murderously at the white mech.

"Oh, hello, Ratchet," the white mech greeted, moving a few steps away from Cassie. "I was just, uh..."

"I know I made it clear to _every_ Autobot that the female was _not_ to be disturbed," the yellow mech named Ratchet rumbled, pointing a very large finger directly at Cassie. "How can she recover if you and every other mech in the base keep bothering her?" His voice suddenly disappeared and turned into a medley of odd clicking noises and screeches, still obviously yelling at the white mech.

'_Huh, didn't think Wheeljack would make it here this fast. I wonder how much has happened since the battle...'_ Jazz mused. Cassie thought he had sounded somewhat sad and decided not to press the issue.

'Uh, Jazz, what's going on?' Cassie asked Jazz, continuing to watch Ratchet yell at the other Autobot.

'_Nothing you don' need to hear,'_ he replied, his voice calm and patient. _''Ya wouldn't understand it anyway. Jus' wait 'til Ratchet gets done.'_

Which, surprisingly, didn't last very long. Wheeljack left the medbay within five minutes, pausing at the doors to glance back at her and wave cheerfully before disappearing out of sight.

"Wheeljack didn't damage you any further, did he?" Ratchet spoke to her as he walked past, heading for what looked like a large tool cabinet. As he passed, a slight breeze followed in his wake, suddenly causing Cassie's skin to crawl with goosebumps. She shivered violently and started rubbing her shoulder furiously to warm up.

"No," she managed to squeak aloud before returning to Jazz. 'Why do I feel so...what's the word I'm looking for...bare?'

'_Don' ask me, I ain't a human.'_ Cassie could almost mentally see him shrugging his shoulders. Cassie continued to rub her skin, her hands abruptly discovering that her shoulder was unsettlingly devoid of any fabric.

'Oh no,' she moaned, her stomach plummeting uncomfortably as she realized exactly what could cause her to be so cold. Gritting her teeth, Cassie glanced down at her body and felt her face flush as deep as her highlights. She was sitting in nothing more than her underwear and the bandages that were mercifully wrapped thickly around her entire chest area, along with a few strips around some of the more serious gashes. Simply put, she was almost completely naked.

Wasting no time, Cassie scrambled to retrieve the blanket that Wheeljack had dropped onto the table and quickly returned to the mattress, covering herself completely beneath the blanket. She clutched the corners determinedly, wanting to just disappear.

'_Could be worse ya know,'_ Jazz suggested pointlessly.

'Says the giant mech in my head," Cassie argued.

'_Ya think this is going to help? Hidin' under this cover?'_ he laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ratchet opened one of the many drawers, shoving aside wires and various parts to pull out a small scanner, one that would hopefully tell him exactly why this human femme had been emitting a distress signal and had established a comm link with Bumblebee. He turned back to the table to find that the femme had hidden beneath the Earth cover.

"Primus, give me patience," he muttered softly as he reached out and with amazing precision, gently took hold of a corner and tugged. The human femme seemed oddly determined to remain out of sight, but Ratchet was not in any mood to be messed with.

"I need to remove this to check the progress on your injuries," Ratchet spoke loudly, his voice clearly annoyed.

"And I need you to leave me alone," she squeaked back fiercely, pulling on the cover violently and nearly out of Ratchet's hold.

"Listen," Ratchet ordered sternly as he removed the cloth entirely and tossed it out of her reach. As soon as the cover had been removed, the human had curled up, her arms wrapped firmly around her legs, staring back at him in a mixture of what he guessed to be loathing and nervous apprehension.

"You are lucky to be alive, human," he continued, settling for a more gentle yet firm tone. "Based upon your various medical documents I have studied, if we had not found you when we did, you would have not survived." He stared back at her, letting the statement sink in. Ratchet continued to speak, his optics scanning her internal systems silently as he did.

"Now, I can safely assume you have a name, correct?" The female nodded her head.

"Cassie." She bravely held out her good hand. Ratchet stared at it for a moment before realizing that it was a gesture of greeting. He held out his own hand, which could have let her sit comfortably on it with room to spare. She took one of his fingers and shook the tip, and he likewise.

"My name is Ratchet, and I am the chief medical officer of the Autobot faction stationed here on Earth."

"Wait, hold on a second," Cassie interrupted him, her brown eyes getting wide. "You mean I'm not on some alien space ship in the middle of the galaxy?"

"No."

Cassie exhaled deeply in relief, her body visibly relaxing. Ratchet finished his scans as she relaxed, noting that other than a need to ingest some type of human food for energy and her already battered body, she was perfectly fine.

"Okay, now that I know I'm still on Earth, and you're not going to turn me into some weird experiment, I have to ask you something, you being a doctor an all." Ratchet waited patiently, noticing the energy signature, which had been pulsing on a low, almost indiscernible level, was rising, becoming more and more evident.

"I've had these weird dreams, well, I guess you can call them dreams, don't really know what else they can be called," she began, her fingers scratching her head. "You do know what dreams are, right?"

"A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of recharge for humans."

"Yeah, okay," she replied, slightly astonished. "Um, well, I know this may sound totally strange and impossible, but I've dreamt about a giant robot—," she stopped briefly, her eyes becoming strangely unfocused before continuing. "sorry, giant **mech** in my dreams. He said his name was Jazz which, to be completely honest, doesn't seem like an alien name. He's been in my dreams or memories or visions or whatever else you want to call them. He's been talking to me, says he's an Autobot, and uh..._what are you doing_?" Cassie asked, her voice annoyed.

"Don't move." Ratchet ordered forcefully. He picked up the scanner he had set aside earlier and held it parallel to Cassie. It lasted only a few moments before it beeped. Ratchet rapidly scanned the results.

_Why couldn't I see this sooner? The signs were all obvious_, Ratchet angrily thought. He would have kicked himself in the aft for his stupidity, but he needed to act. Now.

**-Optimus?-** Ratchet commed as he hastily put the scanner away.**-We have a bit of a problem.-**

**-Go ahead, Ratchet.-**

**-Call an emergency meeting. The female just woke up, and you're not going to believe...slag, I'm not sure I even understand it all.-** he responded, his frustration rising.

**-What are you saying, Ratchet?-** Optimus replied, his confusion understandable.

**-I scanned the female, Optimus, and she is emitting a Spark signal-** There was nothing but silence on the other end as Ratchet theorized further.**-and if I'm right in assuming this, I think this human possesses Jazz's Spark within her. Don't ask me how or why because I don't know myself.-**

**-Bring her to the main control room.-** Optimus commanded, his normally calm voice tense and curt. **–I will contact Bumblebee and have him return immediately, but do not breathe a word of this to anyone. She deserves the chance to explain everything before we act.-**

**-Understood.-** Ratchet closed the link and turned his attention back to Cassie.

"Finally!" she exclaimed "Is something wro—whoa!" she abruptly stopped speaking as Ratchet none too gently picked her up and set her in his open hand. "Hey, easy, I'm still sore!" Ratchet didn't listen as he headed for the control room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, I hope it was worth the long wait. XD

And I don't know about you guys, but it seems I can't go anywhere these days without passing a cop somewhere. Maybe I just have bad luck. Or maybe I have a stalker...XD

Please Read and REVIEW!!!! X3

Next chapter: A meeting occurs that will affect not just the Autobots, but Cassie as well.


	15. The Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers. I only own my character, Cassie, and the theft of her is considered illegal. So don't even think about it.

A/N: Whoot, finally, another chance for me to update!!! I can't wait until Christmas.

Chapter 15!!!! I'm still a little shocked that I've managed to make it this far into a story. My first one, nonetheless. I seriously appreicate all of you who make it a habit to review this story, and I hope I can keep making you wanting more. XD As to how long this story is going to be, I haven't really hit an end point, but there is one, I can guarentee. But who's to say that I don't have a sequel planned?

I'm sorry if this chapter seems both slow and long, no one wanted to cooperate with me. But I think I've gotten everyone where they needed to be to start the next little arc of this story.

Warning: This is actually not a betaed chapter, so there may be a few mistakes. Don't hesitate to tell me where, because I've combed through this and can't find anything wrong.

Enjoy!!!!

* * *

"I am prepared to meet anyone, but whether anyone is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

**Mark Twain,** American author and humorist

* * *

**Chapter 15**: The Meeting 

"I don't know Sam...should we have left her alone with Ratchet and the others?" Mikaela's voice broke Sam out of his daydream. She stared back at him, hair whipping wildly around her face from the open window, her bright azure eyes concerned. He and Mikaela had left the Autobot base with a guarantee from Ratchet that the girl would be taken care of.

"What else could we do? It's not like we can take her to a different hospital; Simmons would probably find her again," Sam answered, his hands loosely gripping the steering wheel out of habit. "And we can't keep her our houses, either. I don't think my parents would be too keen on me bringing home another girl without telling them."

"No, I didn't mean that. I was thinking of how she's going to react when she wakes up. If I remember correctly," she said, her voice taking on a teasing tone "you weren't exactly Mr. Nonchalant when you saw Bumblebee for the first time."

"Hey, that was understandable. I was half asleep when I saw Bee," Sam countered.

"I was talking about the whole 'I'm getting chased by my car! Gotta go!' scene." Mikaela started laughing. "I've never seen anyone run that fast."

"She has a point, Sam," Bumblebee's voice added, also with a hint of laughter

"Great, side with Mikaela, Bee. Thanks," Sam threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Okay, I'll admit, I did freak out a _little_."

"Exactly my point, Sam," Mikaela continued, pulling her wind blown hair behind her face. "What's to say she wouldn't act any differently?"

Sam was silent for a few moments, desperately racking his brains for a good comeback.

"Mikaela, I don't see why she would be surprised," he finally answered. "Remember she asked about Bumblebee when we found her? She has to know something about the Autobots then, huh?"

"True." Mikaela's frown slowly formed a small smile as she settled back into the passenger seat. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Sam." Mikaela turned her attention back to the radio. "What do you think about all of this, Bumblebee?"

"To be honest, Mikaela, I do not doubt in Ratchet's abilities at all. I believe that with time, the human will wake up and answer all of our questions." He paused for a moment before adding, "Yet I am still worried that Simmons has suddenly disappeared, and that your military force is unable to find him."

"Don't worry about it Bee," Sam said, patting the dashboard reassuringly. "I'm sure they'll find him soon. He can't hide forever."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The human female knew who he was. That was what bothered Bumblebee. How could she know? There were very few humans who had any knowledge that the Autobots even existed, and yet here was this unknown female who had some connection to the Autobots; more specifically, to him.

_Simmons realized this_, Bumblebee determined. _It only makes sense. What other purpose would he have with her? _His processor drifted back to when they had found the female, and it tore at his Spark. From Ratchet's analysis of her injuries, there was no doubt she had been tortured. Just as he himself had been. Why would Simmons do this to one of his own kind, someone so young and innocent? Was it really because of the Autobots?

**-Optimus Prime to Bumblebee.-** Bumblebee jumped a little at the sudden transmission, sending Sam and Mikaela a few inches off the seats. He felt them grip the sides of the doors fearfully, and he could almost see the questions already forming in their eyes as they stared expectantly at the radio, waiting for an explanation from him. They would have to wait.

**-Bumblebee responding.- **

**-I need you to return to the Autobot base immediately.-** Bumblebee listened without interrupting. Optimus sounded worried, almost unusually so**.-Ratchet has informed me that the human female finally became conscious a short time ago, and he believes that every Autobot needs to know what he has discovered.-**

Bumblebee waited for Optimus to explain further, but he abruptly changed the subject.

**-Are Sam and Mikaela still with you?-**

**-Yes, sir.-** Bumblebee answered uncertainly, wondering why Optimus needed them.

**-Bring them as well. It may be easier for her to accept everything if those two can keep her calm.-** Optimus chuckled a little**.-It seems that Wheeljack unintentionally ended her recharge cycle, and she is not adjusting to her current situation as readily as I had hoped.- **

**-Understood, sir, I'm heading back to the base now. Bumblebee out.-**

"Hey, Bumblebee, what's goi—" Sam started but stopped as both he and Mikaela were suddenly jerked forward as Bumblebee slammed on his brakes. He heard his back tires squeal with the sudden change in speed and direction as he sharply turned around and onto the other side of the highway. Ignoring the blaring noise of angry car horns, Bumblebee sped off, heading back.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Sam shouted back to the few drivers that could hear him. "Geez, Bee, could you give us a little warning the next time you do that?" Sam turned around and looked out the back window. "That cop isn't chasing us again, is he?"

"No, Sam, I am taking you and Mikaela back to the base under Optimus' request."

"Why?"

"The human female is awake, Mikaela," he replied as he weaved through two slow-moving cars before speeding up again. "Optimus wants you and Sam back at the base."

Bumblebee didn't wait long for the statement to sink in. Sam was the first to speak.

"Don't say it, Mikaela. Don't even think about it. Don't even smile," Sam warned.

"Too late," Mikaela answered, her brilliantly white teeth already showing through her growing smirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Oh man, I'm going to be sick_, Cassie moaned, her eyes shut tightly as she felt herself rise and fall unevenly with each step Ratchet took. Even though her stomach was empty, the continual change in height made Cassie feel like she was on a bad roller coaster ride. She gripped one of his fingers to keep herself from bumping against the hard metal of his skin, avoiding the exposed wires in the gaps. To make things even worse, Ratchet had placed his other hand on top of the one she was sitting on, making her vision dark, the only light shining in through the gaps of his fingers.

"Hey, Ratchet," she shouted angrily, her voice echoing loudly in Ratchet's enclosed hands. "I said take it easy! You hands aren't exactly made out of cotton, and if you keep bouncing me around like this, I'm going to—" White stars suddenly winked in front of Cassie's vision as her head thumped soundly against the metal.

"—hit my head," she finished with a mutter, furiously rubbing the throbbing spot on her skull. "Would it kill you to slow down a little?" Ratchet didn't reply.

'What's his problem?' Cassie directed to Jazz, deciding that if she wanted answers, he would be the one who would actually listen to her. Not that he had much of a choice.

'_You.'_ Jazz answered simply.

'Me? What did I do? Okay, I guess I did just nearly kill myself by falling off that table, and maybe I ticked him off when I hid under the blanket, but I wouldn't think that those little things would bother him that much.'

'_No, it's not tha'.'_ Jazz chuckled. _'I think Ratchet knows about me, but he's not too sure wha' ta do, or if he should believe it. Sparks don' jus' go and attach themselves to humans, or anythin' else for tha' matter.'_

'Okay, so let's pretend I know what a Spark is. How exactly did I get one?' Jazz remained silent.

'Great, even you don't know that answer,' Cassie folded her arms angrily. 'But he can fix us, right?'

'_Primus, I 'ope he can.'_ The sudden familiar swoosh of opening doors annoyingly halted their conversation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Optimus had just ended the transmission to Bumblebee when his office doors opened. Ratchet walked in, one hand closed over the other. His optics were narrowed to the point of almost being shut, his gaze focused on his hands. He said nothing as he moved to stand in front of the desk, his left hand lowering to hover only a few inches from the gray metal surface. Optimus watched as Ratchet tilted the lower hand while simultaneously removing the other, allowing the human female to slide out and land on the desk with a loud _thump._

"Owww," she groaned loud enough for both of them of them to hear. Optimus watched as she pushed herself up from the table and settled into a sitting position, her hands rubbing her face. "What is it with giant robots? It's like they've never heard of the word 'gentle' before." She turned back to face Ratchet, completely unaware that Optimus was standing behind her.

"Hello, little one," he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper to him. The female spun around immediately. From his viewpoint, her eyes were level with his upper legs. With great care, she raised her gaze slowly, taking in every detail. When her eyes finally looked at Optimus, he was not surprised to see her expression was identical to Sam and Mikaela's when they had first seen him transform.

Optimus bent down, his face coming to a halt just a few feet above her own. She continued to stare unblinkingly at him, her eyes wide.

"My name is—"he began.

"Optimus," she finished for him without hesitating. "You're Optimus, aren't you?"

It was now Optimus and Ratchet's turn to be shocked. They stood there, unmoving, unable to believe their own audio receptors. Ratchet was the first to recover.

"How in the pits do you know Optimus?" he all but shouted. The girl covered her ears, burying her head against her legs.

"Ratchet," Optimus ordered sternly. Ratchet became silent, settling for crossing his arms angrily in front of his chest. Optimus turned back to the female.

"Yes, I am Optimus Prime," he answered kindly. The girl lifted her head slowly. "And you are?"

"Cassandra," she replied uncertainly. Optimus noted her unease and shifted backwards. Her body visibly relaxed, but the fear and hesitation remained.

"Cassandra, I must tell you that it is highly unusual for someone of your species to be aware of our existence, so you can understand our surprise." She nodded. "May I ask how you know?"

"I saw you in a dream," Cassandra started, her eyes now focused on the table. "I mean, it seemed like a dream, but not really. They're more like...memories. His memories." She tapped the side of her head. "I already explained this to him." She pointed to Ratchet. "I told him that there was this silver mech Jazz who keeps talking to me and—"

"Enough." Optimus held up his hand, stopping her. "I must ask you, Cassandra, to wait until the meeting before you tell us the full account."

"Meeting?" she squeaked.

"Yes, we have many questions we wish to ask you, and I am sure you have some as well?"

"Uh-huh." Optimus watched as Ratchet lowered his hands once again. Cassandra climbed into his hand and turned around, looking back at Optimus.

"For the record, it's 'Cassie', not Cassandra."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cassie was completely relieved when Ratchet left the hand she was occupying uncovered, giving her the freedom to look around as he left what she assumed was Optimus' private office. Not that there was much to see, though; the one time she did lean over too far, Ratchet's chest started humming loudly, something that sounded unmistakably like a growl. Cassie quickly shuffled back to her original position and sat, not moving an inch.

The trip didn't last long; Ratchet abruptly turned right and headed through a set of double doors, stepping into a brightly lit room already filled with other mechs. Cassie was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the room, not to mention the giant mechs who were seated around an enormous metal table. Every mech in the room looked up at Ratchet when he entered, most of them immediately shifting their blue optics to stare curiously at Cassie.

Ratchet moved to the back of the room, sitting between Wheeljack and a very large and bulky black mech. He held his hand just high enough for Cassie to gingerly step down onto the table. She stretched her limbs out gently once she was seated, not wanting to irritate her chest.

"So, the little human's finally out of recharge," the black mech boomed, his voice even louder and deeper than that of Optimus or Ratchet. "This one's quite resilient."

'He looks familiar, Jazz.'

'_That's Ironhide,'_ Jazz explained to Cassie. _'The best weapons specialist I've ever met. Although he's a little, how would you humans say it...'trigger happy'. He an Optimus are ol' comrades.'_

'Okay, don't make the black one mad,' Cassie memorized. She turned to stare at Wheeljack. 'I don't remember seeing him in my dreams, though.'

'_Ya wouldn't know him 'cuz Wheeljack wasn' a part o' the original search team. He's a genius mech, tho'. Always inventin' somethin' new for us to use. Although,'_ Jazz started laughing as he continued _'it's not uncommon for somethin' he's workin' on ta suddenly explode.'_

'WHAT?' Cassie screamed at him.

'_Calm down, Cassie, it's not like you're goin' ta explode if he touches ya._' Cassie turned her back on the three mechs to stare at the other side of the table. The chair directly opposite of Ironhide was occupied by a black and white mech, the word "Police" stamped boldly across his chest.

'_Huh, so Prowl and Wheeljack already made it.'_ Jazz mused. _'Wonder how long I've been gone.'_

'Prowl? Doesn't sound too friendly.' The black and white mech stared back at her. Unlike the others, his optics were scrutinizing, calculating, anything but comforting.

"_Nah, don' mind him too much. Sure, he's probably got a bolt or two stuck up his aft, but he's second-in-command for a reason. Prowl's got a logic processor so fast an' powerful it makes my own look slow.'_

'I'll take your word for it.' Cassie glanced at the seat next to Prowl and found it empty.

'Jazz, is someone missing?' Before Jazz had time to reply, the doors opened once again. All of the mechs immediately stood up as Optimus Prime walked in and did not sit down until he had seated himself at the head of the table.

"So, Prime," Ironhide began, his attention still focused on Cassie as he spoke, "why the urgent need for a meeting? Did you find the missing femme?"

"Not exactly," Ratchet answered. "More like, 'missing mech'." Cassie saw his mouth twitch upward ever so slightly.

"And this human knows the mech's current location?" Prowl asked skeptically, leaning closer to Cassie. Optimus and Ratchet remained silent. "Well?" He turned back to Optimus.

"Yes." Optimus said simply. "The situation, however, is more complicated than we first determined."

"More complicated?" Ironhide questioned. "How could it be more complicated? All we have to do is ask this human where the mech is, go and get his sorry aft and bring him back to Ratchet and fix the idiot."

'Okay, I've had enough of this.' Cassie rocked forward onto her knees, ignoring the ongoing conversation around her.

'What are you doing?'

'Getting some answers. I'm tired of feeling stupid and being treated like a little kid.' Cassie shakily stood up, losing her balance as she wobbled backwards a few steps and fell. She didn't hit the metal table; surprisingly, Wheeljack must have silently watched her struggle and acted promptly when she tripped, catching her not unlike a mother would catch her toddler just learning to walk.

"Thanks," she mumbled. His optics squinted in his odd eye-smile before he set her on her feet.

"Excuse me." Cassie said in a voice halfway between polite and annoyed. Their discussion ended, each set of optics once again turning to focus on her.

"One, I do have a name, and it's Cassie," she directed more to Ironhide than anyone else. "and two, I know I'm only human, but I think I deserve an explanation as to why you guys are here, because I can definitely say that you aren't from Earth." She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Prowl, are you sure that Sunstreaker isn't on Earth yet?"

"Yes, I'm certain he's still a few Earth cycles away. Why?"

"Just curious." Ironhide sighed. "I don't know about you, but she's got one pit of an attitude. Thought she might have bumped into Sunstreaker before we found her."

"I do NOT have an attitude problem!" Cassie yelled. "I have been through some serious slag recently, and I have every right to be angry!" She turned to yell at Optimus, but stopped, his sympathetic expression cooling her anger.

"We understand your frustration, Cassie," he quietly spoke, "and yes, you deserve to be angry, but not at us." He rubbed the sides of his blue helmet in apparent exhaustion. "Is that all you want? To understand why we are here on Earth?"

"Yes, and why I am here."

Optimus hesitated. When he finally spoke, Cassie was surprised to hear the sadness in his voice.

"It all began with a desire. A desire to dominate and control our own planet, Cybertron."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"...The battle ended when Sam Whitwicky plunged the Allspark into Megatron's chest, causing his Spark to overload and deactivating him permanently. We remain here on Earth now, waiting for any surviving Autobots to arrive." Optimus finished.

"So, there could be more of you still out there?"

"We can only hope."

Cassie was stunned. Everything from Optimus' story was true. How else could he, along with Ironhide and Ratchet, describe word for word what had happened in her dreams?

She sat there, her arms crossed, realizing she wasn't going to go anywhere for a long, long time.

"And all I wanted was a nice, peaceful summer." Cassie flopped onto her back, sighing heavily.

"Now that you know why we are here," Ratchet's annoying rumble broke Cassie out of her wishful thinking, "you can tell us exactly why—"

The doors to the roomed opened once again, and Cassie watched as yet another Autobot walked in. She knew this Autobot, just as she had known Optimus. He was staring down at the ground, his attention elsewhere.

"Bumblebee?" The bright yellow Autobot looked up at her, his optics opening in surprise. He walked to the other side of the table, choosing to sit next to Prowl.

"Ratchet, what's going on here?" Prowl's disbelief was plainly evident as Cassie continued to stare at Bumblebee. Bumblebee leaned down and disappeared from her vision briefly before sitting straight once again, his left hand occupied by a boy and a girl who seemed to be around her age.

"Thanks, Bee," the boy said cheerfully to Bumblebee as he jumped off. He held his hand out to the girl and helped her down. The two didn't seem at all fazed by the Autobots.

"So, Optimus where's the girl?" The words had barely left the boy's mouth when he caught sight of Cassie. "Oh, um, uh, this is a little...awkward." He turned around rapidly, but not before Cassie saw him blush.

"Okay, that was odd," Cassie said. "What's his problem?"

"Um," the girl spoke up as she walked over to Cassie. "You do realize that you don't have any clothes on, right?"

"Of course I know that I don't...have...any..." Cassie squeaked loudly, wrapping her hands tightly around her knees.

"Now that everyone is finally here," Optimus addressed loudly, "I believe it is time for you, Cassandra, to tell us how exactly you possess a Spark."

The silence in the room was short lived; Ironhide suddenly exploded with laughter.

"C'mon, Prime, quit joking," Ironhide slapped his hand on the table.

"It's not a joke, Ironhide," Wheeljack answered softly, peering intently at Cassie. "I was quite intrigued by the strange signal I noticed in her earlier, and I am not surprised that it was a Spark energy signature."

More silence.

"Ratchet? I think it will be easier if I start from the beginning." Cassie breathed in deeply, unaware the every set of eyes, both human and mech was now on her.

"All of this weird stuff started not too long ago with this really crazy dream I had. I can't remember it very well, but I know that I was fighting to protect...something, or someone. It's like I was this silver mech, but I wasn't. I could hear his thoughts and felt what he felt as he fought against...some other mech." Cassie closed her eyes, making it easier for her to recall what she could. "Then, this giant mech with these huge, evil-looking red eyes grabbed me and pulled me apart." Her body suddenly shivered. "When I finally woke up, I was so relieved, because I thought that it was only a dream."

She continued her story, feeling the words come easier as she was finally able to tell it to someone who wanted to listen. She told them about her first encounter with Jazz and how she realized then that she had somehow seen his memories. Cassie smiled as she elaborately described her daring escape attempt.

The next part was the hardest for her. She tried to explain that Jazz had somehow helped her to communicate with Bumblebee, but couldn't understand exactly how it worked. From there, she told them about her fight with Simmons and the abuse that followed, but didn't mention the specifics of what had happened. No one questioned her for more information, which she was grateful for; Cassie wouldn't have answered them anyway. The physical signs she still retained were enough of a reminder.

"...and the last thing I can remember before waking up here was being surrounded by bright lights. I guess it was a hospital, I'm not really sure." Cassie let out a huge sigh, her body feeling relaxed. The silence that followed was understandable; it was a lot to take in, and she didn't doubt that some of the Autobots found parts of her story unbelievable.

Prowl was the one exception.

"Why should we believe you? You could be nothing more than a primitive attempt to undermine our security, which I wouldn't doubt if it came from the Decepticons." He literally spat out the last word with anger.

Cassie flopped down, exhausted. 'You have got to be kidding me. After all that, and Prowl still can't believe a word I said.'

'_I didn' think he would.' _

'Any suggestions? Maybe I could tell them something only you would know.'

'_Hmmm.'_ Cassie waited patiently. _'Well, this might work.'_ Cassie listened as he carefully explained what she should say.

'I hope you're right, Jazz.'

'_When have I been wrong?'_ he teased.

'And you're sure he's not going to kill me?'

'_Nah, he's just be a lil' fritzed, but none of the Autobots will doubt ya' after this.'_

"Optimus, Jazz assured me that I wouldn't be harmed if I said this. He says that he can understand Prowl's lack of acceptance, but Jazz thinks that what he told me should be undeniable proof that I'm not lying."

"Go ahead." He, unlike Prowl, seemed to completely trust her.

Using every nerve she possessed, Cassie turned to face Ratchet straight in the optics. "Your nickname wouldn't happen to be Hatchet?"

The reaction from this simple question was immediate; every Autobot, save for Ratchet and Prowl, started emitting a loud, rumbling sound, which Cassie recognized as laughter. Even Optimus couldn't help but chuckle.

"There's your proof, Prowl. Is it good enough?" Ironhide managed to say between laughing. Cassie sighed in relief as the boy and girl sat down next to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I guess that would explain why Simmons thought you were an Autobot," the girl, who had introduced herself as Mikaela, spoke. The Autobots had taken some time to talk amongst themselves, undoubtedly concerning Cassie and what they needed to do next, now that they knew Jazz was still alive.

"What I can't believe," Sam added, "was that you actually had the guts to try and take out that a-hole."

"Yeah, me neither," Cassie muttered dryly, her head starting to hurt. "Which is why I'll be spending the next eight weeks with this," she waved her casted arm around wildly, almost knocking herself on her now throbbing head.

"And where did you say you were from again?" Sam asked.

"Indiana. Which reminds me, where am I, exactly?"

"Well," Sam scratched his head. "truthfully, we don't exactly know ourselves. If I had to guess, we're probably somewhere in Nevada. We don't live too far from here, though."

"Cassandra," Optimus stopped their conversation. "The Autobots and I have agreed that for the time being, you should remain here at the base. We believe that it would be the safest place for you until we can find a way to separate you from the Spark."

"Sure, whatever," Cassie closed her eyes, her headache increasing rapidly.

"Cassie? Are you okay?" she heard Mikaela ask worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little...dizzy," Cassie opened her eyes and instantly regretted it. The room was swimming, everything becoming a blur as it spun faster and faster. She could vaguely hear voices shouting from every direction, but it made no sense to her as she fell. She thought someone had picked her up, but she couldn't really tell. Her head was pounding harder and harder, her vision becoming darker as she fainted, the sweet allure of the peaceful blackness too great to resist.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

So, there you have it. Onto the next one!!

Don't worry too much, Cassie will be fine...I think.

Hey, if you want some news on the Transformers 2, head over to imdb and check it out!!

**Please Read and Review**!!!!!

Chapter 16: Adjusting to living with Autobots isn't easy...


	16. Adjusting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Transformers or any of the character based off the '07 movie. The only person I do own is Cassie, and if you steal her without my expressed permission, then boy, do I feel sorry for you when I find out.

A/N: Okay, that was enough negativity for one chapter, let's move on, shall we?

I know, I know, it's been almost two months since I last updated, but between my surgery (which kept me out of work for two weeks straight), my grandpa getting really ill, Christmas in general and both of my part time jobs, I barely have any time for anything anymore. But never fear, I had time to write the next few chapters, so expect to see them soon. My reasons?

1. I want to get this story rolling again, and 2. Because of my severe lack of updates, I have a one-shot planned as a thank you for all of you who have stuck with me thus far. And for it to make any sense, I need to get past the next five chapters. Does that sound good?

Now, to the thanks section. There are quite a few I need to mention specifically. First, to all of you who either added this story to your favs or alerts, such as Rainchaser, counterklock, Moonlight Eagle, Kesera, ninja-pirate-alchemist, Ami of Destiny, Moonpiper and anyone else I forgot to mention. Thanks!

Secondly, to all of those who reviewed the last chapter. And a special nod to ArmoredSoul, who reviewed every chapter while she read it! Thanks so much.

Third, to Figgs and Ahh-Chew here on fanfic, who I had the great pleasure of talking to. So much fun. XD

And lastly, to all of you who have waited so patiently for me to update, and those who make a habit of reviewing regularly. A million thanks!

Now, on to the next chapter.

* * *

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails"

--Dolly Parton, American country singer and actress

* * *

**Chapter 16:** Adjusting

"...she should have told me..."

"...too scared to say anything...fell off the table..."

Cassie struggled to listen to the ongoing argument that filled her ears. Her mind, still in a misty fog was slow, only able to discern bits and pieces of the quarrel.

"...fell off the table?!" the first voice spoke again, its tone rising to a deafening roar briefly before returning to a mild rumble. "What did you—never mind." Cassie grinned. There was no mistaking that voice.

"Ratchet, did you see that? I think she smiled."

Opening her eyes cautiously, Cassie was instantly greeted by both the annoyed face of Ratchet and Wheeljack's curious gaze. She blinked a few times, her vision easily adjusting in the dark shadows cast by the two mechs. Her headache had fallen from blindingly painful down to a dull, more tolerable throb, one that a few aspirin could easily soothe.

'_Finally. Do ya have a faulty recharge system, or is this normal for humans?'_

'Nice to know you were worried about me,' Cassie groaned.

'_I am_.' His tone sounded sincere for a moment, completely devoid of the optimistic voice she had become accustomed to. _'You should get tha' fixed; Ratchet could prob'ly—'_

'There is no way I am letting Ratchet come anywhere near me. No. Way. In. Hell. His hand is bigger than my entire body. Heck, his finger is bigger than my head.'

'_An' who do you suppose has been takin' care of ya since we got here?'_ Cassie was silent. He did have a point.

'..._Ratchet_, I guess,' she groaned again, sitting up. 'Can we stop talking like this for a while? I feel like my head is pounding, and you're only making it worse.' She felt bad about asking him this, but her headache had been steadily increasing with each passing second she continued to talk with Jazz.

'_I will if you promise not to suddenly offline like tha' again.'_

'Deal.' Cassie felt the throbbing ebb away almost instantly. She turned her attention to the two mechs towering over her.

"Uggghhh, how long have I been out?" she asked, rubbing the remaining traces of sleep from her eyes.

"Less than half an Earth cycle," Ratchet gruffly informed her. He seemed to stare at her with a calculating gaze, one that suggested he was doing more than just staring. "Your internal systems seem to be functioning at a lower level than is normal for your species."

"My what?"

"When was the last time you consumed energy?" he continued. Cassie stared at him blankly, still confused as to what he was asking.

"Uh, human terms, please?"

"When was the last time you ingested organic substances?" Wheeljack suggested.

"Umm, well, the last time I remember _eating_ was before Simmons found me, so I guess it's been a few days." Ratchet emitted the same low, rumbling noise she had taken for a growl as he walked away from the table and headed for the exit.

"I'll be back Wheeljack, and this time, don't scare her." The doors closed automatically, leaving Cassie alone with Wheeljack in the medbay. Neither of them said a word for some time, the uneasy silence almost visible in the room. When Wheeljack finally spoke, Cassie was relieved to hear the calmness in his voice.

"Don't let Ratchet's mood bother you too much," he started. "He really does care a lot about his patients."

"He just has a hard time showing it?"

"You could say that," he said, smiling.

"So...you're Wheeljack, right?" she asked hesitantly, choosing her words carefully. Cassie did not want the same reaction from Wheeljack as she had gotten from Prowl and Ratchet.

"Yes, and can I assume correctly that the lieutenant told you this?" Cassie relaxed. Wheeljack didn't sound angry; in fact, he seemed curious.

"Yeah, Jazz told me about you. He said you like blow things up." Cassie quickly clamped her hands to her mouth, waiting for Wheeljack to explode like Ratchet. Amazingly, he stared at her for a few moments before laughing.

"Why am I not surprised?" he continued to laugh. "Yes, I do seem to have the unfortunate problem of various projects exploding without warning, but don't worry," Wheeljack explained, "my lab has been specially built to withstand any unexpected blasts."

"You have a lab nearby?" Cassie asked incredulously. "Just how big is this place?"

Wheeljack was cut off in his answer as Ratchet reentered the medbay, one hand clenched tightly.

"I don't care whether you like this or not, but this is the only organic food that I could find, and it will have to sustain you for now." Ratchet set his hand next to Cassie. She peered into his open palm and had to restrain herself from diving headfirst onto Ratchet's hand. Even though he had only a small sandwich and a bottle of water, to Cassie, it seemed like a gourmet dinner. She gratefully took the small meal and began devouring it, savoring the delicious taste of turkey and cheese.

'_Slow down, Cassie, ya' gonna hurt yourself._' Ignoring Jazz's warning, Cassie continued to inhale her food, completely oblivious to everything else.

'_Are you even listening to me?'_

'Yes, I'm just choosing to ignore you. Now let me eat in peace.' She took another huge bite of the half-eaten sandwich, her cheeks bulging out as she chewed. 'Look, I'm not trying to sound rude; I haven't eaten in days, and that's why I fainted earlier. Anyone would. I'll be back to my normal self as soon as I'm finished.' Cassie reached for the water, the cool liquid splashing pleasantly down her dry throat as she drank half the bottle in one gulp.

'_Back to normal? Were ya ever normal?'_ Jazz joked.

'Still not listening.' Cassie finished her meager meal without anymore interruptions from Jazz. Had she been paying more attention to something other than the food, she may have noticed the subtle flickering of both Ratchet's and Wheeljack's optics as they watched her eat. She swallowed the last bite, taking note that her headache had disappeared, along with the constant rumblings of her now full stomach.

"Thanks, Ratchet. I really needed that."

"Don't thank me, it was Sam and Mikaela." Ratchet answered distractedly, placing various tools onto the table. Most of them were huge, the biggest being just as tall as she was.

"Those aren't for me, are they?" Cassie asked, unsuccessfully trying to cover her fear of the giant devices.

"Calm down, they're for Prowl." Ratchet pushed the pile away from her. "I haven't had time to give him a complete systems check since he's landed, mainly because I've had to focus my attention on you." Cassie felt her stomach sink. Had she really been that close to dying?

"...and it looks like one of his hydraulics is completely shot. Which reminds me," Ratchet turned to face Cassie. "I need to run a full body scan on you as well, to see how your injuries are healing."

"Uh, no thanks," she said hurriedly, shaking her head rapidly, her hair swirling back and forth around her face. "I'm feeling great, no need to check anything, just go ahead and fix Prowl, I'm sure he needs it more than I do. See? I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me."

'_Ya talk fast when you're nervous.'_ Jazz bluntly voiced._ 'It's no use arguing with Hatchet; you'll jus' wear out your vocal processor.'_

"Huhh, nice try, but no one leave my medbay unless I say so," Ratchet pointed a finger at her. "Not even Prime."

"And what if I refuse?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're finished," Ratchet said, removing the last of the wires from Cassie's torso. "Most of your scratches are fully healed and shouldn't leave any lasting visible marks. It seems, though, that your body will need more time to repair the internal damage on your forearm."

Cassie glared darkly at the medic. He and Wheeljack had spent the past half an hour running so many different tests and scans on her, attaching wires of all sizes to random parts on her body, neither of them saying more "Hmmm" and the occasional low growl from Ratchet. She had obstinately refused to let them remove the bandages around her chest, which had earned her another angry look from Ratchet

'_See, was tha' so bad?'_ Jazz snickered. _'I told ya, Ratchet always wins in the end.'_

"So...what's going to happen to...us?" Ratchet stopped moving to face her.

"For right now, nothing. I just need to _you_ to recover. I can't do anything more until I know you're completely healthy." His tone was firm, ending the discussion, but Cassie wasn't satisfied. She opened her mouth to say something, but a noise from Jazz cut her off.

'He's not telling us something, isn't he? Once again, leave the human clueless as to what's going on.'

'_Prob'ly for a good reason. You're pretty stressed out righ' now; jus' take it easy and relax. He'll tell us wha we need to kno' when we need to kno'.'_

'You know, you're oddly calm for a body-less mech. If I was stuck in someone else's head, I would be going crazy. I don't think—hey, where's Ratchet?' She looked around the room, only seeing Wheeljack.

"Did Ratchet leave again?" she asked him as she stood up.

"Yes, I believe it was something along the lines of 'needing to find Optimus' and 'Don't leave her alone'." Wheeljack eyed her curiously. "Didn't you hear him?"

"No, I didn't. I was talking to Jazz."

"Do you need something?" Cassie muttered a few words softly, her face blushing a very light shade of scarlet.

"A bath?" he repeated.

'Damn, I thought he wouldn't hear me.'

'_Cass, any mech could've heard ya.'_ Jazz made another noise, one that sounded suspiciously close to a snort, or what would qualify as one coming from a mech. _'Mechs have to stay clean too, how else ya think I got this shine?'_

'Not helping.' "Yes, I do need a bath, but I don't see any human-sized showers here, and I'm positive Ratchet wouldn't want me setting one foot outside his medbay."

"No, I don't think he would," Wheeljack chuckled again. "Let's see what I can do." He walked out, leaving Cassie standing alone in the medbay.

'He seemed a little too enthusiastic about that, didn't he?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Slag, what's taking him so long?' Cassie whined, her face staring morosely at the ceiling. It seemed like an eternity since Wheeljack had left, leaving her alone in a giant room with no one but the voice in her head for company.

'_Slag? Where did you hear that?'_ Jazz did not sound at all pleased.

'From you.' In one fluid motion, Cassie sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the table, her attention focused on the door. 'I've been meaning to ask you about that. What does it mean, 'slag'? It doesn't sound like any word I know, and you and Ratchet use it when you're mad.'

'_Nothing. Now forget tha' ya ever heard it._' A huge grin slowly worked its way across Cassie's face.

'_Wha'? Whaz so funny?' _

The medbay doors hissed open at that moment, admitting Wheeljack, who was carrying what looked like a large box wide enough for Cassie to sit in. The water sloshed around noisily in the container as he set it down next to her.

"What's this?" she asked, prodding the box curiously. The edge of the cube barely rose to her knees, the water only a few inches below that.

"This is an Energon container," Wheeljack explained, his voice brimming with excitement. "My choices were limited, since Ratchet doesn't want you leaving the medbay for now. So, I improvised."

"Thanks, I guess." Cassie tentatively placed her good hand into the cube, the water's surface calm and inviting. Her fingers stroked the surface, the soothingly warm water sending chills up her spine, causing her to shiver.

'Okay, now comes the hard part.'

'_Huh? Whaz so hard abou' getting in?'_

'It's not that.' Cassie hotly snapped back, her face blushing again. 'How do I explain to a giant mech about 'privacy'?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He hated bad news. What he hated even more than bad news was that most of the time, he was the one who had to give it.

"So, how is Cassandra adjusting?" Ratchet didn't respond to Optimus right away.

"Fine, although it will probably be a few more Earth cycles before she's comfortable around all of us." Ratchet reached for the nearby Energon container, taking a long drink before continuing. "Her heartrate seems to skyrocket every time I talk to her."

"Maybe she's got a fear of medics, Ratch," Ironhide joked from across the table.

"Getting back to the subject, Ironhide," Optimus interjected, "what have you found out so far about Jazz and Cassandra?"

"Optimus," Ratchet began, sighing audibly "Wheeljack and I have only run a few diagnostics and scans, but so far we haven't found any hint as to why Jazz's spark would suddenly bond with Cassie." No one said a word as Ratchet continued his explanation, one hand motioning sporadically, letting his own thoughts flow out one after another.

"What's got me fritzed even more is that there are no physical signs or markings anywhere on Cassie's body to even suggest it. From what I've learned about humans, I've found that their bodies aren't made to withstand those extreme temperatures. Slag, she shouldn't have been able to even touch it, let alone go near it."

"What about the shell on her lower arm?"

"The humans use it as a type of external repair system, Prowl," Ratchet said, leaving the specifics to a minimal. "I'm saying that if she _did_ come into contact with Jazz's spark, then she should have burns around her hands or whatever she touched it with."

"I also noticed while she was consuming energy that she is able to communicate with Jazz on some level, which is how she knew so much about us, Prime."

The room was silent, save for the soft humming of three mechs processing this new information.

"From what I can tell, she isn't suffering any ill side-effects from the spark, and vice versa. She hasn't been bonded with the spark for long, maybe a breem at most. As long as she's alive, Jazz's spark will continue to remain intact, and that's all we can be Primus grateful for."

"Have you found any way to separate them?"

Again, another sigh, this one even louder.

"If I had my equipment that we left on the _Ark_, then yes, I could possibly attempt a Spark transfer back to his original body, but even then—"he paused, shaking his head "I'm certain that Cassandra would be killed in the process."

Ratchet hated saying those words, but it was the truth. He had run the scenarios through Teletraan-I, and every result was the same. For them to make a decision without Cassie's own input...they couldn't do it. Optimus would never agree to it, let alone consider it as an option; Ratchet knew him too well. Besides, the spark transfer had its own risks of failing, and if that happened, they would lose both of them.

"Does she know about this?" Optimus' voice was heavy, his decision already made.

"No."

"Then it will stay that way," he ordered. "We have no right to decide who lives and who dies, even if it involves another species. I will not risk losing an innocent life to save another when there is no guarantee that both of them survive. Nothing that was said in here is to be repeated to anyone else, especially Cassandra."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a quick explanation from Cassie, Wheeljack sat with his back to her as she finally removed the bandages from around her chest before hurriedly dunking herself into the temporary bathtub, her left arm held awkwardly over the rim of the cube.

'I am never going this long without a bath EVER again.' Cassie let herself sink slowly into the water, the edges of the cube soft yet firm against her back. Using her good hand, Cassie rubbed her skin clean of the layers of dried blood, sweat, dirt and who knew what else that had accumulated over the past days.

'_Wow, tha' looks bad._' Glancing down, Cassie silently agreed with him. The bruises on her legs had turned yellow, which was sign that they were healing quickly. The cuts had also healed, most of them leaving no scars to be seen. Her upper region, though, was going to need more time. The lower part of her ribcage was still a deep, nasty shade of green, at some points almost purple. She knew the bones were probably sore even after her time spent resting, but with another week of light physical exercise and more warm baths, she should be free to leave the medbay, which was already starting to wear thin on her curiosity.

'Awww, is that concern for a human I'm hearing from you?' Cassie grinned, the warm water improving her mood even more.

'_Yeah, 'cuz you're no fun when you're hurtin'.'_

'Don't worry; I'll be better in no time.'

Cassie submerged herself for a few seconds before resurfacing, her hair dripping heavily onto her face. The sudden sound of a door opening caused Cassie to squeal noisily before pressing her front side firmly against one of the edges, her knees pulled in tightly. Her eyes were just visible over the rim as she watched as Bumblebee walk in and look around before asking "Ratchet's not here, is he?"

"No, but I don't know if Cassie wants you in here either right now." Wheeljack didn't move, still keeping his promise to Cassie

"Good, because that guy seriously scares me, and I'm not usually afraid of medics," a new voice answered, one that was human, but not Sam or Mikaela. "Hey, big guy, mind if I get a lift?" Wheeljack moved from his position and bent down, his hand temporarily vanishing before reappearing, carrying an unfamiliar adult.. He jumped off of Wheeljack's hand and spotting Cassie, walked over, a plastic bad held securely in his hand.

"Hey, kid, how're you feeling?" he asked, he voice switching to a gentle, sympathetic tone.

"Okay, I guess." 'It's like he knows me, but I don't know him.'

'_You're askin' the wrong mech, Cass, but I guess if 'Bee knows him, then he might've been at the battle.'_

'He does look like he knows how to fight,' she added, noticing the scar just below his right eye and the knife case on the left side.

"I'm Will Lennox," the man introduced himself. "Glad to see you're up and moving around. You weren't doing too well the last time I saw you."

"Captain Lennox was the one who found you at the lab." Bumblebee explained from his spot just to the side of Cassie. "He also realized the danger you where in at the hospital and had us bring you here."

"Uhh, thank you?" she managed to say, her voice still squeaking.

"No problem, kid," Lennox replied. "Sorry to catch you at a bad time, but I thought you wouldn't mind a few extra clothes. Some of them might be a little small, but I had my wife put in a few of her old things in case Mikaela's clothes don't fit you." He set the bag down just outside the cube. "Do you need anything else?"

"Do you have a towel in that bag?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Okay, then give me five minutes, and by the way, I'm Cassie."

True to her words, Cassie stepped gingerly out of the cube only after Lennox, Wheeljack and Bumblebee had their backs turned. She dried her skin eagerly, ecstatic about the thought of suitable clothing instead of the near nakedness she had lived through the past few days. She dove into the bag, choosing a gray sports bra, a blue T-shirt and a pair of capris for now.

'_Is that all it takes to make ya happy? A few flimsy pieces of material?'_ His voice was disbelieving, but understandably so.

'For your information, these are "clothes". Humans need them. **I** needed them.'

'_Why?'_ Cassie paused, the capris only to her knees as she thought of an answer he would understand.

'Because...well, there are rules.' _Great, I have to explain clothes to him. He's like a little kid; asks questions about every single thing. God, if you're watching me, don't make me explain the 'birds and the bees'. Please, anything but that._

'_Rules?'_ Jazz pressed further. _'Rules abou' wha'?'_

'Like, there are certain parts on males and certain parts on females that you aren't allowed to display publicly.' Cassie finished pulling the sports bra over her head, feeling improvingly better.

'_Why not? Don't ya want everyone to see your armor?'_

'No, I don't want anyone to see my 'armor', what kind of person...let's just leave it at "I need these", okay?'

'_You humans are so weird.'_ Jazz finally answered, still sounding confused.

"Lennox? You didn't pack any bandages in this bag, did you?" she asked.

"Yeah, they're right here, Cass," Lennox kneeled down next to her and pulled out a large wad, enough to last for a few days.

"Can you...ah..?"

"Help?" Lennox smiled. "I would be glad to." With Lennox aiding her, Cassie quickly wrapped the fresh bandages around her body, Bumblebee and Wheeljack silently observing.

"You're pretty good at this," she commented, watching him quickly and effectively wrap her ribs. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, I'm in the Army. My men and I were the only survivors of the attack on Qatar about a month ago." His voice had become hard at these words, the memory of their survival still painfully vivid.

"Oh," was all Cassie could think to say. She didn't say another word as Lennox finished with the wrap, securing it with a pin

"There, you should be good for a couple days." Lennox clapped her hard on the back, sending Cassie sprawling. "Whoops, sorry Cass."

"I'm okay," Cassie replied, rubbing her head. "No lasting harm done."

"Well, at least I can disable the—"

"Oh, crap!" Cassie suddenly shouted. "I totally forgot! Does anyone have a cell phone?"

Everyone in the room stared at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Cassie, where the HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Sable's shrill voice was heard by everyone in the room as Cassie held the phone as far away from her ear without literally having to throw it across the room.

"And I thought Cassandra was bad," Wheeljack muttered, his hands firmly over his own audio receptors.

"Calm down, Sable, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? I almost called the police, Cassandra," she continued shouting. Cassie lowered her head. Sable only ever used her full name when she was either extremely angry or worried. "You know, I can understand a few days, but almost two weeks, Cassie?"

"Sable, it's okay, I'm with some relatives. My uh...Uncle Will," Cassie lied. "He came by and picked me up. He lives out in California, big house," she explained, the words coming out fast. "So, seriously, everything's okay."

"You're not hurt or anything, are you?" Finally, Sable had lowered her tone to a bearable level, giving Cassie an ounce of privacy as the others cautiously lowered their hands.

"No, I'm not, _Mother_."

A long, drawn out sigh came from the Sable's end.

"Cassie, I was really scared for a while, you know that, right?"

"I know, and I apologize for not telling you in advance, but this was kinda "spur of the moment" thing, and I will be back, I promise."

"Do you know when? I don't want to spend the whole summer with only my brothers for company."

"No, not really, but don't worry, I already talked with my mom, and she's okay with it." Cassie felt her gut cringe as she continued to lie. "Which is why I need a favor from you. It's not much to do, but I just need you to go to my house once a week and do some light cleaning. Nothing much, and you know where the spare key is, right?"

"Under the back doormat?"

"Yeah, and I promise, I will make it up to you with a three day, all-inclusive, girls only spa trip." She crossed her fingers, using the one thing she knew Sable couldn't resist as a bribe.

"How about a week and a half?"

"One week."

"Done." Cassie leaned back, her worries somewhat relieved. "So, I'll call you again, okay?"

"Sure, Cassie, but I'm serious, please be careful."

"Bye, Sable." She hung up the phone, handing it back to Lennox.

'You know, I think I can get used to this.'

'_I hope so. Ya know tha' Ratchet wouldn't have let ya leave even if ya wanted to.'_

'You're right, but maybe he'll adjust.'

* * *

Well, that's done. FINALLY!

Please read and review! Even though I wouldn't blame you if you didn't...

Next chapter: Getting to know the bots, and a little excursion outside the base causes a big fuss.


	17. Learning the Hard Way

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any character other than my own creations, who I am free to do whatever I wish with. All other characters are property of Hasbro.

A/N: Here it is! And it hasn't been two months this time!

I've had a lot of issues to deal with lately, many of them family, some of them school. I think someone is plotting against me so I can't update like I want to.

Anyway, I want to quickly thank all of my reviewers. You guys rock. I'm almost at 200! O.O

**Special note: **This chapter is dedicated to my late grandfather, who passed away recently. Rest in heaven, Grandpa Vic.

* * *

"Why waste time learning, when ignorance is instantaneous?"

--Calvin, from _Calvin and Hobbes_ series, created by Bill Watterson

* * *

**Chapter 17: Learning the Hard Way**

"Is that it?"

Pushing aside the long, blonde curls that somehow managed to escape her hairclip, Maggie squinted her eyes against the afternoon desert sun, searching for the building. She was considerably amazed that Glen could see, let alone spot a well-concealed building in the bright light.

"Look over there, behind those hills...see?" he pointed out, his voice slipping into a whine not unlike that of a seven-year-old. "It's hardly even noticeable," Maggie heard him mutter. So did their driver.

"It's not meant to be seen, Mr. Whitmann," Secretary Keller growled, his attention fixed solely on navigating through the rough terrain. "This area itself is government property, and this was one of the few bases in this region that was both securely hidden and far enough away from civilians that we could offer." He had long since abandoned the GPS that was installed in his brand new Yukon Denali, as it constantly reminded him in a monotone voice that they were not on any road at all. "We don't want any 'unwanted visitors' finding this place, and Optimus Prime assured me that they've added extra security measures." As if on cue, the GPS system suddenly flashed red once before blinking off.

"Miss Madsen?"

"Oh, right," Maggie replied distractedly, opening her large handbag and pulling out yet another GPS, an exact duplicate of the previous one. Glen peered over her shoulder, watching as this one suddenly clicked to life, displaying a direct route to their intended destination.

"Geez, Maggie, where did you get that?" Glen asked, sounding a little jealous.

"I dunno," she answered truthfully, shrugging her shoulders "but let's just hope this thing works."

---------------------------------------

The trio arrived at the base without any more problems, save for the constant grumblings from Glen about the heat. Maggie couldn't blame him. Secretary Keller parked near a side wall as instructed per the GPS.

Glen had been right. The new Autobot base looked like it could house military equipment, not giant alien robots. It looked completely ordinary, rather old and extremely ugly by human standards. After a few moments of standing outside looking for a door, Glen stopped, his forehead sweating profusely.

"Okay, I officially hate the desert. Why couldn't they find somewhere cooler, like Colorado or something?" Glen leaned against the side of the building. "Isn't that Lenard guy supposed to meet us here?"

"That would be Lennox," a voice answered from behind them. Glen stumbled awkwardly as he turned around to face Will, who was wearing a slight grin. "Glad you all could make it," he answered casually, one hand holding open a door that they had somehow missed in their search for an entrance.

"Nice to see you as well, Captain," Keller answered as they followed Lennox. A rush of cool air welcomed them as they stepped inside, the door clanging shut behind them.

"Now this is more like it," Glen said, ogling the giant computer screen to their left. Maggie could see his fingers itching to examine it.

"Don't even think about it," she warned. "Remember, we're only here to meet the Autobots and identify which vehicles they change into."

"I know, I know." Keeping a close eye on him, Maggie noticed that in Glen's momentary distraction, Lennox and Keller had stepped off to the side, just far enough away to not be overheard. She was surprised to see that both of them looked serious, and judging by Keller's scowl, it was something important. She assumed it was something military related, otherwise Lennox would have told them all, not just keep it between himself and Secretary Keller. She distinctly heard the words "investigation" and "contacting the family" before Keller glanced up and seeing her eavesdropping, ended their discussion.

"Sorry, bad habit," Maggie muttered.

"So, when do we get to meet the giant robots?" Glen interrupted, his mood drastically improved.

"Soon." Lennox said, edging his way towards the door. "I can't stay, but one of the Autobots should be coming, and he'll take you to meet Optimus. And don't touch anything," he advised the group, more specifically Glen. They watched him leave, the door once again slamming shut.

Glen opened his mouth to retort, but a faint, shrill voice echoed across the room.

"Let me go! I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

Maggie and Glen glanced at Secretary Keller, but he shook his head, looking just as confused as they were.

"You are not allowed to wander by yourself. Ratchet's orders." The three listened intently as a new voice, this one obviously that of an Autobot, answered the first voice, his tone teetering on the edge of annoyed. There was a distinct pause before the first voice replied, this time much clearer.

"I wasn't 'wandering', just learning my way around. And loosen up a bit, will you? If you squish me, Ratchet's going to build you a new—"

"Calm down, you are not in any danger of being squished." A loud, rhythmic rumbling reached their ears, and they watched as a large, black metal leg appeared from the right. The Autobot was noticeably taller than Bumblebee, who was the only robot they had seen besides Megatron. He stepped into the room, the rest of his armor black except for the few streaks of white on his door wings, chest and arms. What made Maggie and Glen stare was not the robot, but the girl he held securely in his left hand. She looked miserable, one elbow propped on the top of his finger.

"Secretary Keller, welcome," the unfamiliar Autobot greeted. Keller could only nod his head.

"Uh, you have a..a.." Glen stuttered.

"Come on, just let me have five minutes outside, that's all I want, Prowl. Please?" she begged, twisting her body from side to side, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp.

"I will be back shortly." The black Autobot headed for the opposite side of the room, the girl still trying to bargain her way out.

"Anyone can get lost, even giant robots. I don't see what's so bad about me looking around..."

"After what happened the last time Wheeljack lost track of you? You locked yourself inside the training arena, not to mention triggering it to start on a battle level reserved for Ironhide." He exited the room, the girl's voice barely audible over his thunderous footfalls.

"What happened to 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings', huh?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Earlier..._

"Nope, that won't work." Cassie stared at her reflection in the murky water, wrinkling her nose up.

'_Do I even wanna kno' what ya' doin'?'_

'Working on a way to get out of here.' Raising her eyebrows, Cassie peered intently, hoping to catch a better view of her face. 'I'm going to go crazy if I have to spend another minute in the medbay, and besides, I want to see the rest of the base. Might as well learn where everything is if I'm going to be here for who knows how long.'

Ratchet entered, completely absorbed in what Wheeljack had called a "data pad", something she associated with an information system the Autobots used.

'Well, it's now or never.' Turning to face Ratchet, she looked at him with the saddest, most pathetic face she could muster. Jazz's mechanical laughter suddenly filled her head at her expression, which only made it harder to keep her face straight. She pushed her lower lip out downward, uttering the slightest whimper. Looking up at the noise, Ratchet glimpsed her face for the briefest moment before returning to the data pad.

"No," he said flatly

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."

"I have a good idea." Ratchet muttered, setting the data pad down.

"What's wrong with me going out and having a little fun? I'm not a prisoner." This argument was almost routine now; Cassie would complain, she and Ratchet would argue, and no matter what point she used, nothing would sway Ratchet.

"No, you're not, and we don't treat you like one, do we?" Ratchet countered, occupied with something on his work table. "I don't see what's wrong with staying in here. Sam and Mikaela visit you often enough. Wheeljack has also kept you company, and sees to it that all of your biological needs are taken care of."

'_Score: Cassie none, Ratchet one.'_

"Humans need fresh air, open spaces, just plain 'nature'. All of this mechanical stuff is making me nauseous," she moaned. "How would you like if you weren't allowed to go anywhere except, say, Wheeljack's lab?"

"That's not a good comparison. Besides, my medbay isn't dangerous."

'_Ooo, tha' was a burn. Two for Ratch.' _

"Will you shut up?!" she shouted aloud. She buried her face in her hands, defeated for the time being.

"Excuse me?"

"No, not you; Jazz. He's not exactly helping me win this fracas." She turned away, frustrated for losing again.

"Are you finished?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need to run a few more tests and I would rather have your cooperation than force you to sit still." Cassie obeyed reluctantly, not moving an inch as Ratchet attached a variety of wires, mainly around her head and upper body. "Now, relax and just talk with Jazz."

'How many tests will it take for him to be satisfied? This is what, number twenty three?'

'_Thirteen, Cass. And the doc jus' cares abou' ya', that's all.'_

'You and Wheeljack both say that like it's a good thing.'

'_It is. You don' wanna see Hatchet mad, 'cuz if ya' think he's scary now, jus' wait.' _

_--------------------------------------------------------------_

How long it took for Ratchet to get his results, Cassie didn't know, but she sighed gratefully as he removed the last wire. Once he turned his back to her, she cautiously leaned over the edge, her hair tickling her eyes as she stared wistfully at the floor far below.

"What I wouldn't give for a parachute right now."

'_A pair o' wha'?'_

'A parachute. It's like...a big cloth that we use to slow us down if we're falling from something really high. They're the same thing as reverse thrusters for you, if you have those.' Looking back to where Ratchet had been sitting, Cassie suddenly grinned. Her luck finally seemed to have kicked in.

'He's gone.' Peering around the room for any sign of Ratchet and finding none, she grinned even wider. 'Time for some fresh air.' She quickly ran towards the corner closest to the exit. Leaning carefully over the edge, Cassie saw her only feasible way off the enormous table would be sliding down one of the tree trunk like steel legs.

'Okay, this won't be easy.'

'_Wait, ya mean ya didn' plan this?'_ 'Stop sounding so worried. I've had an idea, but I haven't had time to think it fully through.'

'_We're so slagged,' _he moaned.

'Shhh, let me concentrate.' Gripping the edge of the table, Cassie backed down, her bare feet slipping a little on the sheer metal. With almost practiced eased, she gently lowered herself down until the only thing keeping her stationary was the vice-like hug she was giving the table leg. 'Just think of it as a fire pole. A really, really BIG fire pole.' She glanced down, the view suddenly dizzying. Closing her eyes, Cassie took a deep breath to calm herself against the continuous mutterings of _'I'm slagged, we're slagged'_ from Jazz.

'Here we go.' She loosened her hold and felt herself plummet instantly, the metal rubbing angrily against any exposed skin as she slid. Before she had enough time to think, the slide suddenly ended, the wondrous feeling of solid ground set against her feet as she stood and headed for the exit.

'See, was that so bad? We're still in one piece and nothing went wrong.' The doors opened without hesitation, just as they always did for Ratchet or anyone else. With silence a spy would envy, Cassie slipped out of the doors and down the hallway.

'_Ratchet's gonna fritz when he finds out you're gone.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I was this close," holding her fingers millimeters apart. "this close. And then you just couldn't leave me alone." She banged her casted arm smartly on Prowl's finger, still angry at him for his obstinate adherence to the rules.

"The rules are there for your safety," Prowl stated, "and ours as well."

"Prowl!" Wheeljack's voice echoed worriedly down the hallway, the white mech moving quickly towards them. "You haven't seen Cassie have you? She's not in the medbay, and Ratchet's going to blow a processor if we don't find her before–," Wheeljack stopped mid-sentence, spotting Cassie in Prowl's hand.

"She didn't get too far; I found her outside the east exit." Prowl dumped her onto Wheeljack's cupped hands. "Keep a better optic on her from now on." He turned back and left the way he had come, Cassie sticking her tongue out at his retreating back.

'Maybe I convince Wheeljack to show me a different exit.'

'_An' have his aft chewed out by Ratchet or Prowl? Not after wha' happened last time.'_

'That mess was just as much your fault as it was mine for listening to you.' She lowered her tone, doing a horrible impression of Jazz. 'Go ahead, Cassie, whaz the worst tha could be in there?' Last time I take advice from you.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Optimus stood outside once again, the thought of a moment of peace just what his Spark needed. The meeting with Secretary Keller had not lasted long, but the recent cycles had been filled with enough tension and stress, most of it coming from their newest guest. It was surprising enough that this one little female organic could cause so much trouble by herself.

Speaking of Cassandra...

He watched as she tentatively stepped out into the open, her eyes searching for something. Optimus stood unmoving, silently observing whether or not she would flee once she was fully outside; Prowl was fully convinced that was what she had attempted to do earlier, but he other ideas.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"_She's tired of being here, Optimus," Bumblebee argued._

"_I gotta agree with 'Bee, sir," Wheeljack said, his back leaning casually against the side wall. "Cassie's not the organic to sit still and just blindly obey whatever Ratchet tells her. It doesn't help that she's merged with Jazz either."_

"_I can't go against Ratchet when it concerns one of his patients, and you both know that." He looked up from the data pad his was filling out. "Could it be the side-effects from her injuries?"_

"_I'm no expert on human illnesses, but I don't think so." Wheeljack shook his head. "She's seems happy when she's not confined to the medbay with Ratchet and can freely move around, but then again, who isn't?" The room was filled with soft laughter from the mechs before becoming silent again. "But even then, given that freedom, she still manages to get into trouble."_

"_Sam informed me that Cassie is probably lonely," Bumblebee said after a pause "since there aren't any other humans here when he and Mikaela leave. Maybe she needs some time around other humans?"_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Completely oblivious to him, Cassie eagerly walked outside, her expression radiating joy. Her eyes were determinedly fixed on the brilliant orange colors now painting the sky. Either she hadn't seen him or was just ignoring him, but she did not seem interested in moving from her current spot. Optimus let her enjoy the view for a few moments before walking closer.

"Cassandra? What are you doing outside?" he asked softly, trying not to startle her.

"Optimus! Sir!" she shouted, jumping as she spun around. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to leave without telling anyone, I promise. I just wanted to come outside, please don't tell Ratchet, it was all my idea—"

"Cassandra—"

"—Bumblebee had nothing to do with it—"

"Cassie," Optimus held up his hand, halting the flood of explanations and apologies. "I am not here looking for you."

"You're not?"

"No."

"Oh, then...damn." She stayed silent for some time, her eyes shut. "I just couldn't stand being stuck in the medbay with Ratchet. He's like my mother, only worse because he's a giant robot doctor who thinks I can't even walk on my own."

"Do not worry, Cassie," he chuckled, earning a confused expression from her. "You would not be the first to escape from the medbay."

"What are you doing out here?" she shot back at him.

"Enjoying the sunset, just as you were." He turned back to face the sky. "It's so beautiful."

"Uh-huh." Optimus didn't need to look at Cassie to hear the smile in her voice.

The pair of sky gazers continued to watch as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, letting the stars take full command of the darkening night sky. During that time, Cassie had started talking, her words cheerful. Optimus was reasonably surprised by her; from what Ratchet reported, she seemed angry and always upset around him, but out here, she couldn't stop smiling. They spoke amiably, like old comrades; Cassie asking questions one after another, Optimus answering them the best he could. He noticed that she wouldn't respond immediately to some of his questions, most likely speaking to Jazz at these frequent intervals.

With the disappearance of the sun, the temperature of the area dropped quickly. Cassie seemed affected by this temperature change, as she wrapped her arms around herself, her entire frame shaking.

"Cassie? Is something wrong?"

"N-n-nothing, I-I-I-I'm fine."

"Here, I think I can help warm you up." He reached down and set his hand next to her, waiting for her to climb on. She hesitated, her teeth chattering. "Would you rather go back inside?" She glared at him briefly before climbing onto his outstretched hand. Lifting her up with ease, he brought his hand up until it was level with his shoulder plate. Cassie climbed on, and once he was certain she wouldn't fall off, he moved his hand away.

"Optimus, I envy you." Her shaking had stopped, the only movement the gentle swaying of her legs.

"Why?"

"Because your view is so much better than mine."

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Wheeljack, is Cassie with you?"

A crash. Then...

"No, she was with Bumblebee the last time I saw her."

"I already asked him, and he says he's not seen her either. You didn't leave her with Prowl, did you?" Optimus walked into the medbay carefully, both Ratchet and Wheeljack looking up as he entered.

"Optimus, I don't want to bother you, but—"

"Shhhh." Ratchet stared at him. "She's fine." Opening his curled hands, Ratchet and Wheeljack both stared as he revealed Cassie, who was sleeping peacefully on his hand, a small grin on her face. He gently eased her onto the bed, all of the mechs now silent as they watched her shift slightly before becoming still once again.

"Ratchet, I believe we would all benefit if Cassie leaves the base tomorrow for a short period." His voice was low. "Don't you agree?"

"Growing a soft spot for her, aren't you?" Optimus walked back the way he had come, turning just in time to see Ratchet delicately placing a white sheet over her slumbering form.

"I'm not the only one." Wheeljack started snickering as Optimus left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whoo! This is going to be so much fun!" Cassie cheered, her arms outstretched as she bolted out of Bumblebee.

"It's only a mall, Cassie." Sam shrugged. "It's not even that big."

"I don't care; as long as I can act normal for a little while, I'll be happy." She sprinted for the entrance, a few people staring as she rushed inside.

"This is going to be a long day," Sam moaned, following Cassie at a slower pace.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'_Primus, how many humans can ya fit in here?'_

The mall was packed, as was typical of any Saturday afternoon. People were shoving each other, small children were crying at the top of their lungs, but Cassie was enjoying every moment of it. The smell of various restaurants made her mouth water, the thought of something other than a sandwich overwhelming.

"Wrong way, Cassie," Mikaela said, grabbing her shoulders and steering her away from the enticing aromas. "We need to see about some better clothes for you. Secretary Keller decided to give us a little spending money since Simmons stole all of your stuff." Mikaela was right; the clothes she had borrowed were starting to wear thin, small rips appearing along the corner of her shirts.

"We'll be back, later, Sam, we need to have some 'girl time'."

'_Girl time?'_

'Time away from guys, although seeing as you're stuck with me, I don't think I'm going to get any 'girl time'.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam had decided that while Mikaela dragged Cassie around, he could at least eat something. His tray filled with three tacos and a burrito, Sam began wolfing down his meal, the spicy taste of Tabasco sauce stinging his tongue.

"Yo, Sam, what's up man?" Choking on the burrito in his mouth, Sam glanced up to see Miles strolling towards him. Without waiting for an invitation, his best friend plopped down onto the nearby empty seat. "Man, it's been like forever since I've talked to you. What've you been doing all summer? Every time I call your house your mom says you're out and you never answer your cell phone anymore."

"I've been busy. Helping with some...military stuff," he answered thickly, trying to swallow the burrito and talk simultaneously. Before Miles could ask him anything else, Sam shoved the last of the burrito in his mouth, giving him a few moments reprieve.

"Dude, you need to get some time off. I can't stand mom nagging me constantly to get a job. Maybe I could get a job with you?" he asked, stealing one of Sam's tacos.

"Sorry, man, I took the last position."

"So, they must pay really well."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your car, dude. It's insane." Miles took a huge bite out of his pilfered food. "That car is definitely not cheap. I'm glad you got rid of that old piece of junk you had before; that car seriously freaked me out, it was like it was cursed or something." Miles attempted to take another bite, but stopped, his mouth opening wide.

"Sam! Who is that?" he asked incredulously.

Sam swiveled in his chair, following Miles' shocked face to see Mikaela and Cassie returning, their shopping apparently finished.

"That's Mikaela, Miles, remember? She goes to school with us?"

"No, no, not her. I mean the hottie next to Mikaela," he whispered. "Is she a friend of Mikaela's? I've never seen her before. Dude, you gotta hook me up with her."

"Uh, no, that's not...she's not..." Sam mumbled.

"So you do know her? Give me her phone number."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Miles whined.

"One, she doesn't have a cell phone and two, she's my cousin, which means she's off limits." Sam finished his sentence just as Mikaela and Cassie sat down, both looking satisfied, Cassie wearing fresh clothes.

"Awww, thanks for the food, Sam, you're so sweet." Cassie reached over and picked up the remaining tacos, giving one to Mikaela before taking a bit out of hers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Wheeljack, are you positive this is going to work?-**

**-Of course. With the updated holoform program, you should produce a human image that will let you blend in perfectly. Just search the database and compile an image until you've found one that suits you.-**

**-And I'll still have all of my sensors intact after I turn it off**?- Wheeljack didn't answer. **–'Jack?-**

**-You'll be fine Bee, just go ahead and use it.-**

It took mere seconds for Bumblebee to sort through the vast amount of images Wheeljack had piled into the program, but it wasn't too complex. Within moment, his driver door opened and his holoform stepped out and followed the same path inside. He still retained most of his sensors as he walked into the crowded building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sam, Mikaela, I'll be back soon, I need to go and get one more thing."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Miles volunteered.

"Uh, no thanks, I can handle it by myself." Cassie scurried away from Miles. He wore the same look most of the boyfriends her sister had had when they came over before a party.

'_Wha exactly do ya need? You've bought enough 'clothes' to last ya an orn.'_

'Not clothes. A phone.' Silence. 'A communication device for humans. Is that better?'

'_Much.'_ It took her longer than she remembered, but Cassie finally found the small little electronic shop that held every cell phone imaginable. She quickly purchased a small silver and black phone, very similar to her original one. She was able to convince the employee that she already had one and lost it, activating the new one without any trouble. Walking out of the store, stuffing the phone in her back pocket, Cassie casually walked back towards the food court.

'I should probably call Sable again; it's been a few days since we've spoken.'

'_Are ya almost finished here? I wanna go back to the base,'_ Jazz whined.

'Hey, this is my free day, I'm going to enjoy every moment of—'

"Ooompff!" Cassie was sent sprawling to the floor, along with the man she had bumped into.

'_You really could use some sensors; even Wheeljack isn't this clumsy,'_ he said, making no attempt to mask his laughter.

'And you are really lucky I can't punch you right now. You're the one who keeps distracting me.'

A few people passing by asked he if she was fine, to which she mumbled "Yeah, great." Standing up, she reached out a hand to help the man up when she stopped.

'_No way.' _There was no mistaking him; she had seen him only a few times during her kidnapping, but that was a few times too many.

"You." The man angrily spat, pushing himself up and grabbing her roughly around the arm.

"Let me go!" she screamed, drawing attention from everyone within hearing distance. Swinging her casted arm, she hit Stevens on the wrist. The force sent him howling, her own arm pulsing painfully as well. Not wanting to stick around, Cassie quickly spun around and started sprinting in the opposite direction, Steven's angry shouts following her as she turned down the hallway to her left.

'_How in the pits did that human find you?'_

'Do I look like I know? All I do know is that we need a big enough distraction so we can lose Stevens, find Sam and Mikaela and get out of here.' Cassie stopped running, her still bruised ribs angrily throbbing against the bandages. She peered out from behind the trashcan, looking for something that could cause mass chaos. Her eyes fell on a small, familiar red box, one that specifically said "ONLY PULL IN CASE OF FIRE."

'That works.' Without waiting, Cassie lunged from behind the trashcan and violently pulled the handle down. A loud, annoying ringing suddenly filled the mall, quickly followed by mass panic by the shoppers. Slipping in amongst the crowd that was making a mad dash for the exits, Cassie stepped outside, and breathed. They had escaped. Barely.

'_For once, tha' was a plan tha' actually worked pretty well.'_

'See? Not all my ideas are dangerous.'

The wail of sirens filled her ears as a lone Saleen pulled up to the sidewalk, its lights flashing. The design looked familiar...

"Prowl!" Cassie shouted, glad for the first time to see him. The Saleen jerked to a stop, his engine thrumming loudly. She walked over and opened the passenger door and stepped inside, not heeding any of the stares as the Saleen roared away, the seat belt suddenly whipping around her chest and tightly securing her in.

"Easy, Prowl, not so tight," she said, trying to loosen the strap without any success. "You're still mad at me, aren't you? Won't this be a fun ride back to the base...Hey, I didn't know Prowl liked human music." Cassie said, her head turned to the back seat, where a bright silver boom box sat.

'_He doesn't.'_ Jazz answered, his voice also sounding puzzled.

The Saleen suddenly turned on its sirens once again, the words "To punish and enslave" nothing more than a white blur as it sped away, the mall becoming more and more distant with each passing second.

* * *

Well, wasn't that exciting? XD

Okay, people, you know the drill. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

Due to extenuating circumstances, I do not have the next couple of chapters typed. (What do you expect, I work almost 45 hours a week along with college full time?) But the one-shot I had planned for Valentines day is halfway done. It really doesn't belong after 17, more like 19 or 20. So, if you wouldn't mind, I've put up a poll, and your feedback will determine whether I post it on Thursday or wait until the needed chapters are updated. And yes, the twins are in the one shot.

Next chapters: Cassie learns the meaning of the word "Decepticon".


	18. Danger

**Disclaimer:** Uh, what was it again? Something about not owning Transformers. They belong to someone called Hasbro. And then there's that song by Thin Lizzy. I think it's called "Boys are Back In Town". Yeah, that's right.

**A/N: **Reality seems to be bent on interferring with everything in my life. I can't even spend two minutes to breathe, let alone type. But good news! NO MORE SCHOOL (at least until the fall)! I really apologize to everyone for the late update. I had originally planned to finish this story in the summer, but I am very doubtful that it's going to happen. But anyway... Just want to warn you all that this chapter is LONG.

Thanks to all of you for trudging along with me. I know I'm not the best when it comes to updating, but I will try to lessen the time gaps. And I immensely appreciate all of the reviews!

**Side Note:** Thank you Yiroma for betaing this. XD

* * *

"You know what the trouble about real life is? There's no danger music."

--Chip Douglas from **The Cable Guy**

* * *

Chapter 18: Danger

"I hope we run into whatever idiot pulled that fire alarm." Sam twisted his soaked shirt, squeezing out a river of water. "I want to give him my dry cleaning bill." He, Mikaela and holoform Bumblebee (whom they hastily introduced to a confused Miles as BB) had parked in an abandoned lot, far enough away to avoid any questions from the police. Unfortunately, the two teens were thoroughly drenched from emergency sprinklers.

"Bee, is there some way you can, you know, 'unintentionally' hack into the surveillance system?" he asked, his voice partially muffled as he pulled the dry shirt over his head. Bumblebee, still in his holoform, nodded.

"Sam, let it go," Mikaela voiced from the other side of Bumblebee. "I'm just glad we didn't get caught."

"If you haven't noticed yet, we're still one human short," Sam answered, leaning against the yellow Camaro as he watched the empty parking lot, "and I've got this weird feeling that something's wrong. Like some bad juju vibes." Bumblebee was about to ask what "juju" was, but then decided against it.

"Cassie's more than capable of taking care of herself." Mikaela walked into view, running her fingers through her damp hair. "Look at her now: she's living with giant robots. I can't imagine having to do that after everything she's been through."

"It's not that bad," Bumblebee voiced from atop his own roof, his legs dangling over the edge.

"I'm not saying it is, Bee."

"Back to the issue, here," Sam interrupted. "So, Bee, can you find our missing 'amigo'?"

The holoform nodded once before vanishing. The Camaro's engine rumbled to life, startling a few birds from their perch. Mikaela moved next to Sam, the two of them watching the area for any sign of Cassie.

"Sam, I know who caused the alarm," Bumblebee spoke a few minutes later, the chuckle in his voice only noticed by Sam.

"Wait, you mean...oh no" he groaned.

"What?"

"It was Cassie, wasn't it, Bee?" Sam asked.

"Yes." Bumblebee answered bluntly. Sam groaned again.

"Why would she do something like that? A fire isn't anything to joke about."

"An agent from Sector Seven was chasing her." Bumblebee delved further into the recorded files, relaying the events verbally to the two teens as he watched the footage himself.

"What is it with these guys?" Sam asked once Bumblebee finished speaking. "Don't they have something better to do than harass her? Do they ever take a day off?"

"Bumblebee, where is Cassie now?" Mikaela asked calmly.

"With Prowl. He found her outside one of the exits unharmed."

"At least she's safe with him and not the real cops," Sam said as he crawled feet first through the driver window.

Bumblebee waited for Mikaela to get in, keeping his own worries to himself.

_This isn't like Prowl; he would have let us known immediately that he had Cassie. Maybe I should comm him and ask._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The black and white mech placed another data pad on the ever growing pile sitting neatly next to him. Reaching for the last one, Prowl allowed himself a small smile, pleased with all the reports he had finished within the short time Bumblebee had left with the humans. He enjoyed the temporary peace and silence that had descended on the base, save for the muted explosions of Ironhide's plasma cannons coming from the training room.

**-Prowl?-** Giving himself a few moments to avoid the request comm. from Wheeljack, Prowl reached for the last data pad. It was from Optimus.

_Prowl:_

_I need you to adjust the current shifts for our group temporarily. After speaking with Cassandra, I noted how she is still uneasy with her current accommodations. I need you to schedule each Autobot to spend at least one Earth cycle (more if desired) with her._

_Yourself included. _

Deciding to read the rest of it later, Prowl gave in and opened his comm. to Wheeljack.

**-What do you want, 'Jack?-**

**-Where are you at? Cassie asked me to fix this little device, and I wanted to show her the improvements I made to it.-**

**-I'm in my quarters where I've been for the past quarter cycle. And I don't think you should be modifying any Earth technology.-** There was a pause on Wheeljack's end before he spoke again.

**-Wow, you must have hauled aft to get back here with Cassie.-**

Now he was confused.

**-What are you talking about? I haven't seen her since she left with Bumblebee**.- The silence from Wheeljack's end made him feel uneasy.

**-'Jack?-**

**-But that's not possible.-** he argued. **–Bumblebee commed Teletraan not three clicks ago.** **He said Cassie caused a little trouble and left safely with you.-**

Prowl listened closely, turning the words over in his processor, carefully dissecting what he knew to be true and what Bumblebee believed. He was certain he had never left the base, but Wheeljack insisted that Bumblebee wasn't lying.

Unless...

**-Wheeljack, find Optimus.- **He set the pad on the precariously leaning pile.**-Meet me at Teletraan-I.-**

--

The surveillance videos showed every second as Optimus, Wheeljack and Prowl watched, all of them gathered around the large screen.

"Prime, why is she running from this human? Does she recognize him?" They watched as Cassie struggled with the male before taking off.

"He's from Sector 7." The growl from Optimus was not at all friendly. Wheeljack inched a little closer to Prowl.

"She must have triggered some type of the alarm. The humans start to panic once she activates that red box." Cassie disappeared within the swelling crowd of humans. "Where did she go?"

"Here." Wheeljack pointed to a different camera. "I saw her in this one." The trio watched as she reappeared outside, looking frightened but unharmed.

"See, Prowl? Bumblebee was right." Wheeljack said as a Saleen, identical to Prowl's own disguise came into view. Cassie didn't hesitate as she walked right in front of the car.

"Wheeljack, that's not _my_ alt-mode." He paused the video before focusing in on a point just above the cruiser's rear tire. The words "To punish and enslave" stood out clearly against the black paint, but Cassie didn't notice them. The Decepticon took off once she was inside.

"Orders, sir?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Can I roll down a window, Prowl? It's like an oven in here." Even though Cassie had been living here for a week, she was having a hard time adapting to the extreme highs and lows of this area. Pulling her hair off her damp neck, she waited for him to respond. The radio remained eerily silent.

'Is it just me, or is Prowl quieter than normal?' The faintest sense of unease crept uncomfortably down her spine, causing her to shudder. She moved closer to the window, turning to watch the streets speed by, the trees nothing more than green blurs.

'_You think so too?'_

'I dunno. Maybe he's still mad at me for denting his arm?'

'_Na'. He isn't one ta hold a grudge for even a little scratch. It's somethin' else...'_

"Prowl?" Cassie cautiously reached out a hand to switch the radio on. The sirens suddenly came to life, the wailing filling the enclosed space. She slapped her hands on her ears, blocking out only a fraction of the obnoxious noise.

'_Cassie, tell 'im ta quit!'_

"Stop being such an ass, Prowl! I'm sorry for whatever I did, okay?! Turn off your sirens!" The screeching continued against her protest. Cars were pulling off the road haphazardly, a few of them crashing into each other. Prowl suddenly turned a sharp left, the momentum jerking her roughly against the seatbelt. Coughing and muttering a few, choice curse words, Cassie rubbed her neck where the seatbelt had nearly choked her. The sirens finally switched off as he straightened out.

"Okay, I get it. Don't touch the robot's radio." Inching herself as far away from the radio as she could get, Cassie stared at the radio with growing apprehension. This was not at all like Prowl. Why was he so mad at her?

The radio began to crackle and hiss, the buttons and dials moving on their own accord. Snippets of music and radio channels were masked by a loud static noise that sounded like the antique radio her mother kept for "aesthetic" purposes. It was soon replaced by something entirely different but yet strangely familiar. Cassie listened as the noise seemed to repeat itself in a pattern, the tone and frequency changing every few seconds.

'Can you hear that? It almost sounds like...Cybertronian.' The erratic sounds continued, becoming more and more akin to the few times she had heard Ratchet and Wheeljack use it. 'Translation?'

'_Cassie, get out of the car. Now.'_ The edge in his voice was unexpected.

'In case you haven't noticed, I'm locked in, strapped in and we're going about 50 miles over the speed limit. Which would equal me turning into road kill.' She tried to ask what Prowl had said, but the radio suddenly switched to English.

"Do not move, insect."

Every single muscle in her body tensed at the deep, grating voice. She was now one hundred percent positive that this car was definitely _not_ Prowl. Ignoring the rapid thumping of her heart, she edged as far away from the radio as she could get, her fingers fumbling to find the handle.

"Subdue it. Now," the radio ordered before shutting off.

Cassie had about three seconds to look at the radio in confusion before an odd sound came from the back seat, like multiple swords being drawn simultaneously, but muted. The sudden press of metal against her neck was the last thing she remembered before a huge surge of electricity coursed through her body, sending her back arching with the sudden shock. Her vision became blurry, and the last thing she remembered before blacking out were multiple blue eyes...no, _optics_ shining brightly in her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Frenzy, I told you not to deactivate it.** Barricade growled, throwing a rusted pipe at the hacker. The twitching mech was knocked off the steel mesh with a loud crash.

**Diddid not**, the minibot garbled, his broken speech difficult to understand. After Mission City, Barricade had retrieved and repaired the malfunctioning mech somewhat, but the second decapitation seemed to have severely damaged his already dysfunctional vocal processors. Frenzy belonged to Soundwave, and he was the only one who could completely repair the annoying minibot.

**Only rerecharging, I think.** He crawled back onto the top of the cage and resumed his slow circling. **Yesyesyes, isstill alive. Butbut is oddd little inssect. Reeeksss ofoffo Autobot filth.**

**I can see that. **Barricade shoved a few crates together before sitting down. The metal boxes groaned and creaked underneath his weight but held him up.** But I can't process why you wanted me to keep it. You even made me carry that...fleshling. **His frame visibly shuddered at the memory.

**Isis strange. It hashas strange siggignal. **Since they had arrived at their current hideout, Frenzy had done nothing but stare constantly at the organic. The little human seemed to be driving him crazy, for whatever reason, and Barricade was enjoying every moment. He had never seen Frenzy so annoyed by anyone or anything.

**It's just the same as every other one on this Pit of a planet. They all emit organic signals. **Barricade kept both of his optics fixed on Frenzy. He never knew what the Pit-slagged little annoyance would do next.

Barricade was furious at Starscream for fleeing after the battle, leaving him stuck on this underdeveloped space rock. No doubt he had reached other Decepticons by now, and most likely assumed command since Megatron was defeated. They would eventually return, no doubt with more reinforcements, but he could care less. The only thing he cared about was wiping the smug smile off Starscream's face plates in retribution for leaving him in his current state. He had been reduced to stealing the low-grade fuel the humans produced and constantly changing locations. His disguise did provide some benefits, but those annoying organics were persistent when it came to tracking him down.

The other problem was the Autobots. Frenzy had been able to hack into a small part of their security systems before being violently locked out. The little bot informed him that both the head scientist and the second-in-command, Prowl, had already landed on the planet, which put their numbers to six against one. He could not risk an altercation with them until another Decepticon arrived.

**Nnnoo, is different. Somesomething more. Organic, butbutnot. Has different signal. Like usus. **Barricade glared at Frenzy as he continued to squeak and sputter. Giving in to mild curiosity, he did his own scan of the human.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I know I said I wanted to be outside, but this is a little much, even for me." Rolling over and sputtering, she coughed until her lungs were clear, the taste of dirt and dust bitter in her mouth. The unexpected shock coupled with the chilled temperature left her body feeling numb. Cassie lay there, mindlessly listening to the odd clicking that circled around and around her. If she had her eyes open, it probably would have made her dizzy.

"If this is some sort of robot joke," she half-shouted as she pushed herself up off the concrete, "then let me be the first to say you have a very wrong sense of humor." The clicking sounds intensified once she became silent, as if whatever was causing it was trying to answer her.

Prying open her heavy eyelids, Cassie blinked a few times before realizing that what she saw, or at least could see, was unsettling. The brightly lit rooms and hallways she remembered walking through had been replaced by one large and oppressively dark room. Enormous boxes filled the building, their contents of scrap metal and tools lying scattered all around her. Everything was covered in layers of dust and dirt. The only lights that seemed to still be working in the aged building were the "EXIT" signs, the letters glowing a dull red.

'_Are we back at the base?' _

'I don't think so,' she answered back nervously. 'I can't remember seeing this part anywhere. Storage room would be my guess.' Something shiny caught her attention and Cassie inched closer to it.

'I thought you said Prowl wasn't one to hold a grudge,' she stated, carefully fingering the gaps in the metal fencing.

'_He ain't. What's got ya so fritzed?'_

'This,' she said, pointing at the criss-crossed steel mesh. 'I can't see anything but this stuff. It goes all around me like...a cage.' Looking around the enclosed area, it seemed strangely constructed, as if it was made in a hurry. The only part that wasn't fenced was the rusted wall that served as an edge of the cage.

"Not funny anymore. Guys, let me out." The sound of metal tapping against metal made here look skyward. Cassie jumped as the little robot came into view, its two sets of blue optics watching her.

"Geez, don't scare me like that," she gasped, releasing her held breath.

The Autobot, instead of answering in English, started to make the same clicking noises she had heard earlier, every now and then adding a loud screech. It skittered across the top of the dome, looking out into the darkness. The ground suddenly trembled, softly at first, but became more and more violent as a huge mech walked towards her, his armor blending in perfectly with dark room. She looked up happily, glad that one of the mechs had finally decided to get her away from the creepy looking bot.

"Well, it's about time," she said in an annoyed tone. The trembling stopped, the edges of his metal feet just visible beyond the cage. The intense glare of headlights suddenly shone on her, blinding her for a moment. A low, throbbing sound, like an engine revving up, angrily reverberated off the steel walls. Giving into temptation, Cassie looked up.

The headlights had illuminated his metal body, a deep jet black save for the small splashes of white on what looked like his shoulders. This mech seemed just as tall as Prowl: the design, though, was vastly different. Not one piece of it even remotely resembled Prowl. But the things that truly scared her were his optics. Both of them were ruby red, shining out even more than the headlights. Optics that resembled those in her dream...

'_Cass,' _he warned, feeling her fear rising fast._ 'Don' do it. Calm down. Close yer eyes. Whatevah ya do, don'—'_ Her shrieks pierced the air as she scrambled to the furthest corner of the cage.

'—_scream,'_ he finished. Cassie closed her eyes, feverishly wishing she someone would jump out and shout "You've been PUNK'D!" .

"Silence." The same deep, harsh voice that had spoken through the radio was now echoing loudly in the dilapidated building. She obeyed immediately, her shouts dissolving into whimpers.

Cassie suddenly felt herself being grabbed around her stomach as the mech lifted her off the ground. His metal fingers squeezed tightly, forcing her to cry out in pain. She opened her eyes to see she was now face to face with the giant mech. She felt the edges of his clawed hand tear her shirt, leaving deep long gashes in the fabric. Her skin remained miraculously unscarred for the time being. Up close she thought his face seemed rather ugly, even for a robot, but Cassie decided she'd rather live than tell him what she thought.

"Please, let me go," she begged, her voice straining to form the words.

"Silence," he repeated, this time louder. Once she had become quiet, he spoke again.

"Listen closely, insect. I will not tolerate any disobedience. You are still online for one reason: leverage. You possess something those filthy Autobots want." Every syllable of his growling English dripped with malice.

'He knows.' Cassie stopped squirming. 'But I didn't say anything about you.'

'_Ya don' have to. Ratchet said ya emit some sorta weird energy signal. That's how everyone can always find ya.'_

'So I'm a walking beacon?'

'_Basically, but tha' don't matter. Righ' now, you've gotta calm down. Decepticons feed on fear, an' Barricade is the one of the rougher ones.'_

"Seeseesee? I was right." The smaller mech she had seen earlier was now perched on Barricade's shoulder plate, jabbing one of his very pointy fingers at her.

"I don't understand." she answered back weakly, doing her best to feign innocence. His grip tightened, cutting off even more of the air supply to her body. She panted heavily to taste the air around her.

"Do not toy with me, fleshling. You cannot lie to a Decepticon." He released his hand only a fraction, barely keeping her conscious. "I would be a glitched fool to let the Autobots control a piece of the Allspark."

'Wait, wait, hold on a sec. Allspark? Wasn't that destroyed? Optimus said so himself didn't he?'

'_He did and it was. But why would Barricade think you've got it?'_

'What if... if it's you?' she thought. 'Is that even possible? Can he really think that you're the Allspark?'

'_After all tha's happened, I wouldn't be surprised by anything.'_ Jazz hesitated, doing his best to explain what he didn't completely understand. _'Frenzy could have processed the energy signal as Cybertronian, and jus' assumed tha' it was the Allspark.'_

"Stop stalling, insect. Now give me the Allspark."

Cassie stared back at Barricade, a maniac glint in her eyes. Up until this point, she had taken everything that had happened to her with surprising ease. She had been kidnapped, shocked and beaten to inches of her life by a crazy man bent on revenge. To add to the already mounting stress, she was rescued by giant alien robots, only to be kidnapped once again. Unlike the last time, though, she was now the captive of the Autobot's enemy. Apparently, they had also neglected to mention the fact that he looked _exactly_ like Prowl in car mode. Said Decepticon believed that she held a piece of some ultimate power source. The stress was just too much for Cassie to keep contained any longer.

She laughed out loud.

"You think—that I have—"she remembered to breathe as another fit of giggles erupted, her sides aching from the continuous laughter. "Oh, boy, do you have a-a—hahaha—malfunctioning—heehee—processor!" She dried the tears from her eyes as the two bots stared at her.

'_This ain't what I meant when I said 'calm down'._' Cassie ignored him, giggling madly despite the pulsing, angry rumbles of the black Decepticon.

"Stop that now," he ordered. The silence lasted for only a few seconds before her laughter redoubled in volume.

"What is it doing, Frenzy?"

"Notnot sure. Maybe youou broke ititit?"

"Teehehahahah! What junk yard did you crawl out of?"

'_Yer jus' askin' to get the slag beat out of ya now._'

"And what's with your face? Did Picasso—" The rest of her insult was lost as his hand tightened, squeezing out what air she had left.

"Do not test me, organic. I will not hesitate to terminate you. Even if it means destroying a fragment of the Allspark, it would be worth it to watch the Autobots suffer."

Cassie regained control of her senses at his threat, the stress-induced laughter replaced by sheer terror. She pushed desperately against the metal fingers, her breathing slowing down to pathetic wheezes. By the time she realized she couldn't breathe, her vision had already started to darken. The familiar albeit nauseating sense of her world spinning overwhelmed her to the point of her body becoming limp in the mech's unyielding grip.

"Send a message—hostage is at risk—." These few words were the last sounds she heard as her world was once again swallowed by darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**-Prime, are you getting this?-**

**-We all are, Prowl-** Ironhide replied back, somewhat annoyed.

**-Did you find anything?-**

**-No, there's nothing here.-** Prowl answered. His headlights illuminated the abandoned factory**. –But this was location where the message originated from. I'm picking up traces of Decepticon energy here. Two at most.-** His optics took in every detail, noting the crudely built cage.

**-Any sign of Cassandra?- **

**-She was here at one point,-**he said as he reached through the gap. He pulled his hand back, bringing up to his optics a remnant of cloth. It matched the material Cassie had been wearing earlier. **–Barricade didn't keep her here long. Cassandra's organic signal is almost nonexistent.- **After one final sweep of the area, he switched back into his alt mode.

–**I don't like this, Optimus. It practically screams "Decepticon ambush."- **

**-We have no other options.-** Prime stated wearily. He and Ironhide had scoured the city and surrounding towns without any luck**.-With Barricade masking his energy signature from Teletraan-I, there is no other way for us to locate Cassandra.-**

**-Ah, who cares if it is or not?-** Ironhide cut in. **–As long as there are Decepticons to shoot, I won't complain. Anyone heard from Bumblebee?-**

**-He's been assigned to guard Sam and Mikaela.-** Prowl eased out of the crumbling building and headed directly for the nearest highway. He had to admit, this particular Earth vehicle was quite useful. All he had to do was turn on the sirens and every human in the vicinity would move out of his way. He increased his speed.

**-Prowl, I need you to head to the coordinates specified by the transmission. Search the area for anything unusual, but do not attract attention to yourself. We don't need to involve any more humans.-**

**-Understood, sir.- **

--

Prowl arrived at the location, hastily reverting back to his original form. Crouching low behind a caved-in building, he noted that this location provided more buildings to hide in or behind, putting them at a slight disadvantage. He knew they could easily take on two Decepticons, but if more had arrived without Teletraan-I knowing, it would complicate things even further.

Optimus and Ironhide arrived within moments, Ironhide already armed with his plasma cannon and Optimus wearing his mask. Both of them looked tense.

"Ironhide put that away," Prowl hissed, earning him a glare from the black mech. "We can't risk any form of hostility."

"No," he shot back bluntly. "The cycle I go unarmed against a Decepticon is when Sunstreaker paints himself pink. Like the humans say, "I trust 'em as far as I can throw 'em"."

Prowl moved to say that Ironhide could throw a Decepticon reasonably far, but Optimus stepped in.

"Enough," he ordered, stopping the argument. "We need to focus on the mission instead of arguing amongst ourselves." The two fell silent. "Is anyone picking up a Decepticon signature?"

"No. I've double checked the coordinates, and—"

"All of this for one measly organic?" The sneering voice caused the three mechs to whirl around as the Decepticon walked into view. "And Prime no less." He stopped not twenty yards from them, acting oblivious to the deadly looking weapons each of the Autobots had focused on him. "Seems I've found quite the prize."

"Shut your slaggin' mouth Decepticon," Ironhide growled, aiming his cannon level with Barricade's chassis, "or I'll shut it for you."

"Put your weapons away, Autobot." Barricade demanded, losing his patience faster than Ratchet. "Or would you like to see what happens if I squeeze this organic too hard?" Holding out a clenched fist for all to see, each of the Autobots reluctantly lowered his weapon. Cassie lay limply in the black mech's hand, her eyes closed. She did not move.

**-Prowl,-** Optimus moved slowly, placing himself in front of Prowl and Ironhide**.-Scan Cassandra for anything and everything. Send the information to Ratchet and have him report back on her condition immediately.- **The smallest twitch in Prowl's chevron signaled he understood.

"Barricade," he began carefully. "We do not want to fight. We are only—"

"—here for this pathetic creature," Barricade finished, shaking the fist that held Cassie. "I'm no glitch, Optimus Prime. I can see exactly why you are so interested in this particular fleshling."

"It is only human, nothing more," Optimus replied calmly.

"Only human?" Barricade started laughing. "Why don't you ask your medic? I'm sure he knows."

"What slag are you spewin' now?" Ironhide shouted.

"This human holds an Allspark fragment!" he hissed. "Any mech with a functioning processor can see that!" He shook his hand again, Cassie's head flopping from side to side. The stunned looks from the three mechs only confirmed his suspicions.

**-Optimus, Ratchet commed back.-** Prowl informed hesitantly. **–I couldn't give him much, but he's still worried. She's only "unconscious", whatever that is. But he..uh, firmly advised to not antagonize Barricade into injuring Cassie any further.-**

"Ugghh, don't talk so loud." The momentary distraction was welcomed by the Autobots. They watched gratefully as Cassie pushed herself up, looking extremely dizzy. It took her a few moments to see them before she reacted.

"Optimus! Ironhide! Help!" she screamed, frantically waving her arms. "Get me away from him!"

"So the organic knows you." Optimus did not like Barricade's tone nor his odd smile.

"What do you want, Barricade?"

"Simple. In exchange for me keeping the organic alive, you will supply me with Energon." He pulled Cassie closer to his chest, keeping her directly over his own spark.

"Don't listen to him, he's insane! I can't believe it took you all this long—"

"Cassandra, be quiet." She shrunk back at Optimus' hard tone, the confusion and hurt visible in her eyes. He knew that they all wanted to help her, but with Barricade's firm grip and Cassie's current position, it was too dangerous to attempt.

"Ironhide, what are you waiting for? Shoot him!" she begged, the smallest hints of fluid trailing from her eyes. "Get me out of this!" The black mech kept his cannons at his side.

"I'm scared shitless and no one has the guts to save me?" she sobbed angrily, her voice rising despite her leaking.

"I expect your answer within the next cycle." Barricade took a few steps back. "If anyone attempts to follow me, I will terminate the human." No one moved to stop him as he backed away and moved quickly out of sight.

"So who wants to tell Ratchet?" Ironhide laughed weakly.

"Optimus, why does Barricade think Cassie is the Allspark?" Prowl asked as he reverted to vehicle mode. "Is it because of Jazz's Spark?"

"We can only guess, but Ratchet may have a better theory. Let's head back to base to discuss our next move."

"You're not _actually_ going to give in to him, are you Optimus?"

"For now, that may be our only option."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sir, do you realize how fast you were going?" The cop sighed as repeated for probably the tenth time today the same line to another cocky teen.

"I don't know. How fast were you going?" The arrogant kid sneered back.

"Look, kid, I'm in no mood to be messed with. License and registration—" The cop was almost blown off his feet as two cars shot past him, engines throbbing like those from NASCAR. He recovered just in time to see the taillights of the two vehicles before they disappeared.

"Aren't you going to chase them?"

"No, but I can give you their tickets if you keep talking." The teen slouched in his seat, grumbling something about 'lazy justice' under his breath.

--

"_Guess who just got back today? _

_Those wild-eyed boys that had been away _

_Haven't changed, haven't much to say"_

"Sideswipe, turn that noise off." The yellow Lamborghini shouted over the music, coming to within inches of the red Lamborghini speeding next to him.

"Hey, take it easy, Sunstreaker." The red car moved just in time to avoid the other from gently tagging him. "It's better than some other things on this planet."

"Out of all the Pit-spawned planets to find the Allspark, it could have been a little bit cleaner."

"Aww, is Sunshine worried about getting dirty?" Sideswipe laughed as he hit his brakes, avoiding another would-be accident.

"If you weren't my brother you'd be slagged by now." Sunstreaker pulled ahead, Sideswipe pushing his own throttle to catch up. "Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

"Positive. We would have been there already if you hadn't insisted we stop every two breems so you could polish yourself."

"Sides, if you don't cut it out..." The yellow Lamborghini was suddenly quiet.

"Sunny, what's wrong?"

"Are you picking that up? It's a Decepticon signal." Taking advantage of his brother's current distraction, Sideswipe cautiously pulled even with Sunstreaker.

"That's weird. Why would a Decepticon not scramble his signal?"

"I don't know, but I'm curious now. Want to go see what trouble we can find?" If he could have, Sideswipe would have smiled at the challenge.

"Last one there is a Prowl!" Sideswipe gunned his engine, speeding ahead of his brother as they both raced eagerly toward the signal.

"_...Now that the boys are here again _

_The boys are back in town."_

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Is anyone else excited to see where this goes? X3

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

Next chapter: Sometimes, the only ones for the job aren't necessarily the best.


	19. Subtle

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own TFs. Simple as that.**

A/N: Yeah, I know. This update is well overdue, but I was short on the "free time" this summer. Thanks for all the reviews. I really do appreciate them.

* * *

**Alfred: **"Will you be wanting the Batpod, sir?"  
**Bruce: **"In the middle of the day, Alfred? Not very subtle."  
**Alfred:** "The Lamborgini, then. (to himself) _Much more subtle._"

Bruce and Alfred, **The Dark Knight (2008)**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Subtle**

"_Madeline, I'll be outside if you need me." Rusted hinges creaked noisily as a man shut the door behind him. "I need to fix you, too," he added wistfully. He sighed, patting the door fondly as if the house itself was part of the family._

_She watched him from above, hidden safely from view by a multitude of deep green foliage. He walked slowly down the steps, hands stuffed deep into the pockets. The gathering twilight reflected dully off his small glasses, the deep brown eyes behind them watching the sun sink behind the clouds. He sighed again; he always stuck his hands in his pockets when he was worried. _

_He reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Setting the stick firmly in his mouth, he started searching through his many pockets. The small smile she was wearing was quickly replaced by a frown. She hated when he smoked, but it also meant that something was really bothering him. He had found his lighter and had almost lit the white stick when his hand was suddenly struck by a small, round and very hard object. _

"_What the hell?" Grabbing his stinging hand, he caught a glimpse of his lighter sailing through the air before landing with a soft clunk somewhere near the bushes. In his rush to avoid being pelted by anything else, the cigarette had fallen out of his mouth. "That's what I get for buying a green lighter," he said with a small chuckle, nursing his right hand. He bent down to retrieve his now smashed cigarette when he spotted what had hit him, a large apple that was missing a few bites._

"_Seems someone's out to get me," he announced to the front yard. She couldn't help but laugh at his surprised face, but it cost her. Her giggles had been loud enough that anyone could easily find her._

_Taking wide, exaggerated steps, the man marched over to the offending tree. He stopped next to the trunk, hidden behind the thick wood to protect him from more projectiles. Nothing moved. She heard him loudly clear his throat before saying, "I see you, whoever you are."_

_Advancing down the tree, she stopped and turned around, her back to him. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her legs firmly around the sturdy limb and fell backwards. For a brief moment her world spun and she came face to face, or rather upside-down face to face, with the man. _

"_Well, what do you know? Looks like the Keebler elves forgot someone when they left." He folded his arms, doing his best to look upset._

"_Mom said smoking is bad for you," she said angrily, "and so is cussing."_

_Instead of scolding the eight-year-old, he only grinned. He raised his hands in mock surrender, adding "Okay, okay. You caught me." In turn, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "And throwing apples at people isn't wrong?"_

"_Yes, it is, but that was the only thing I had," she said with a pout. "I didn't—hey, stop!" she laughed. The man had tickled her on her sides, causing her to lose her concentration and fall ungracefully into his arms._

"_I win," he teased as he carried her back to the porch. She attempted to wiggle free from his bear hug, but with the slightest poke she would laugh and become still again. He sat down on the topmost step with no more struggles from her. "Cassandra, you want to tell me why you were climbing the tree again?"_

"_No," she answered with a huff._

"_Was it anything illegal?"_

"_Dad, I'm only eight. I can't even cross the street by myself legally."_

_He laughed heartily at her answer, taking off his glasses and dabbing the corners of his eyes. "True, but your sister seemed particularly upset before I came outside. And when you hide," he added, tapping her gently on the nose "you make yourself look guilty. Especially when you hide in a tree."_

"_I wasn't hiding. I was just...okay, I was hiding. I heard Melissa say she was going to kill me because I gave Roch her doll." She grabbed a wayward strand of hair and began twirling it around her finger nervously. "I didn't mean to give it to him, he just looked so hungry and then he ran off with it and I chased after him but he got away and I fell down in the mud and Mom is going to be so mad that I tore a hole in my jeans again and..." Her explanations dissolved into mumblings, her father not once interrupting the steady stream of excuses until she was finished._

"_Cassie, what's really bothering you?" She looked up at him, his brown eyes seemingly staring straight through her. _

"_I heard you and Mom talking. You're leaving again," she spat out quickly before hiding behind her hands, preparing herself for whatever anger might ensue. Instead of the long drawn out sigh that always signaled he was going to lecture her, he remained silent. Had she been looking, she would have seen an unusual sadness in his eyes. _

"_Cassie, you're being irrational," he finally answered, moving her hands gently away from her face. He took out a tissue and with great care wiped the smudges of dirt off her cheeks. "It's not like I'll be gone for good. I'll come back just as I always do." The sun had set by this time, leaving nothing in the sky but deep lavender and hot pink streaks. Fireflies flickered into existence as if on cue, dancing around the yard with their own earthy light._

"_How long this time?" she asked offhandedly, watching as one of the insects landed on her outstretched hand._

"_It'll only be a year, ma petite étoile."_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_What does what mean?" She looked up at him to see his face equally confused._

"_Those words you just said? Ma pahtee aytoil," she repeated for him. _

"_It means 'my little star'," he explained with a raised eyebrow. "What French has your grandmother been teaching you?"_

"_None. She spends all her time trying to teach Melissa. But Gran Papa taught me all kinds of words to say," she grinned toothily. "Like 'cochon ivre' means 'drunk pig'. He told me that Gran Maman calls him that all the time when she's mad. He also said something that sounded like 'merdre' when he burned his hand—"_

"_Oookay, Cassie, that enough French grammar for one evening. And I suggest you don't repeat those words around your mother. She'd skin your grandfather alive." An even longer pause followed._

"_Will you be back in time for my birthday?"_

"_I promise, Cassandra. Even if I have to walk home, I will be here."_

"_Pinky swear?" she said, sticking out said digit and raising it hopefully._

"_Pinky swear, or may I be doomed to eat asparagus for the rest of my life," he answered solemnly as he interlocked his finger with hers. To reassure her further, he pulled her into a tighter embrace, kissing her forehead gently._

_She leaned into his hug and closed her eye, sinking deeper into the warm comfort he provided. This was all she wanted; to stay wrapped in his arms and never let go, never let him leave. She knew he would keep his word but when they were together like this, she could at least pretend that he would never leave. If only for a few moments. Their soft embrace stretched on forever until the hug began to tighten._

"_Dad, I've think I've had enough bonding for one day." He didn't seem to hear her. His grip was suddenly leaving her breathless, strong arms squeezing her with ever increasing force. Her lungs were struggling to inhale, her breathing coming in short gasps._

"_Daddy, let go. I can't breathe," she whined. Opening her eyes, she could see her body partially encased by giant steel bands. The bands moved, flexing tighter and tighter. No, those were fingers._

"_Give me the Allspark," an icy voice demanded. Her vision was suddenly engulfed by demonic red eyes._

"_I..I...don't have it," she managed to gasp. _

"_Give it to me!" it raged out even louder. The pain intensified, her heart so close to the sharp edges that she was certain the disembodied voice could feel it pounding relentlessly. One little slip and it would end..._

"_**CASSIE!**__"_

_--_

Jazz's shout pulled her out of the dream, heart still pounding rapidly from the vivid memory-turned-nightmare. Her body reeked of sweat and dirt, the drops cooling rapidly against her hot skin, sending a slight shiver over her body. Cassie looked around, wondering why she was laying on a floor with her clothes torn to shreds and surrounded by enormous boxes. Then reality set in painfully.

'_Are ya okay? What was tha'? I thought you were overloadin' or somethin', shakin' as bad as you were.' _

'Fine,' she snapped back, leaning against the circle of worn-out tires she had been using as a bed. She didn't remember falling asleep. She took a few, steadying breaths to ease the tense nerves that were causing her hands to shake. 'It was only a memory.' Fully awake, Cassie glanced across the open area, spotting the silver boom box that was Frenzy.

'_What was it 'bout this time?'_

'It was one of mine, not yours.' The dials on the radio rotated slowly, the CD lid hovering open before clicking closed. He seemed pathetically harmless in that form. Even with her size advantage, Cassie was hesitant at moving any more than needed. She didn't think she could take on a Decepticon, even one that was only four feet tall. With Frenzy acting as guard dog for Barricade, she was left with few options for escape. 'And no, I don't want to talk about it.'

'_Cassie, I know things look grim righ' now, but you gotta trust Optimus.'_ She snorted. _'He's doin' what he can ta keep us alive. He didn't have many options ta work with.'_

'It's not my fault nobody warned me about Decepticons! I assumed they had all been destroyed from what everyone told me!'

'_And I'm not blamin' ya for it._ She was surprised by his seemingly calm attitude._ 'I didn't know myself._ _Trust me; you're beyond lucky by Autobot standards. If it'd been one of us, any Decepticon wouldn't think twice about offlinin' ya.' _She had to give him credit: he was good at keeping an optimistic view, no matter how hopeless she thought the situation looked

'So...they were actually protecting me by not rescuing me?'

'_Exac'ly.'_

A metallic screech echoed across the room followed by Frenzy suddenly shifting from CD player to spike-covered minibot. The spastic mech took one look at her before running off, feet clicking lightly against the concrete floor.

Cassie slumped against stack of tires, finding no comfort against the worn rubber. She sat down hard from exhaustion only to immediately roll to one side. Something was pressing uncomfortably in her back pocket. After pulling out the offending object, she realized with a sudden burst of excitement it was the replacement phone she had purchased just hours ago.

"Yes!" she squealed quietly, reminding herself that there were two murderous mechs in the vicinity. "Let's hope you work," she cooed encouragingly to the silver device. Cassie eagerly pressed the power button, smiling at the thought of calling in reinforcements, one particular black pickup in mind. The screen remained blank.

'_Maybe ya broke it?'_ he suggested.

'My ass isn't that big,' Cassie replied back hotly. Carefully turning the phone over in her hands, she removed the back cover. 'But it would help if I had charged it.'

'_In oth'r words—'_

'—it's useless,' she finished for him. Cassie hung her head down, all hope burnt to a crisp for the second time. She felt like chucking the dead phone at the nearest wall and making a nice dent in it. 'I feel like a complete idiot for falling for Barricade's trick so easily.'

'_Yer not the only one,'_ Jazz added. _'He fooled Sam too.' _

Cassie didn't answer. She had become distracted by the cacophony of noises floating in through a broken window, the most noticeable being an incessant revving of a super-charged engine and the bleating of a very loud and obnoxious horn. Daring to move, she inched closer to a mass of wooden boxes piled up to the window. Her fingertips had just barely grazed the coarse boards when a screech from Frenzy sent her scrambling back into her circle of tires. No sooner had she stopped moving than the psychotic Decepticon walked into view. Sensing Barricade wouldn't be far behind she curled up, her forehead pressed against the dirty floor. She had learned quickly enough that if she looked and acted like she feared for her life (which wasn't hard to do), he was less likely to take his anger out on her.

Barricade stomped next to Frenzy, his own engine humming with a soft, suppressed fury.

"Do not think that you will be rescued, insect," his voice drummed. "Those Autobots know what's at stake and would be glitch-heads to attempt some underhand trickery. Besides," he added with a twinge of smugness "Prime is too _noble_ to resort to drastic measures."

'_Unlike some Decepticons I know!'_ Cassie shushed him out loud, forgetting only she could hear him. She continued to stare at the floor, keeping her eyes away from the optics she knew were focused on her.

Frenzy fired off a furious melody of clicks, presumably asking Barricade something.

"Organics in this isolated area? Not probable, but they would make for excellent target practice," he sneered.

Cassie cringed inwardly, her stomach criss-crossing on itself. 'He wouldn't hurt humans just for the fun of it...would he?' She took his silence as a yes. 'Uggh...that's just...sick. I'd be throwing up right now if I wasn't so hungry.' Her stomach rolled again.

'_You'd be __**wha'**__?'_ Frenzy emitted another high pitched whine, to which Barricade did not answer. The sudden grinding and screeching of metal grabbed at what little curiosity she could muster. With the utmost caution, she raised her head in time to see the driver door slid down before promptly slamming shut. Once his shift was complete, Barricade peeled out, taking extra care to keep his noise level to the bare minimum.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Why did he ever listen to his brother?

**-Sideswipe, if I get so much as a scratch from this,-** he commed angrily, taking an extreme wide turn to avoid a mountain of rusting parts **–you are going to owe me big time.-** He flexed his side mirrors, checking once more to assure himself that he was still scratch-free. Seeing nothing damaged on his pristine shine he rolled forward unhurriedly, taking his time to avoid the random potholes that pockmarked the abandoned lot.

**-Stop complaining Sunny. Besides, how many orns has it been since you got to properly pound a Decepticon?-**

**-Says the Autobot who's hiding.-**

**-I'm not hiding,-**Sideswipe fired back, sounding indignant. **–I've just chosen a more...secluded location to...properly approach the problem.- **

**-"Secluded" my aft.-** Sunstreaker growled, edging past a particularly narrow alley of scrapped metal. **–And remind again why I was elected as "the bait"?-**

**-Because you're the one with the optic-blinding paintjob, bro. I blend in too well right now and we want to lure out whatever Decepticons are hiding in this dump**.-

Not knowing whether that was a compliment or insult (knowing Sideswipe it was the latter), Sunstreaker gunned his engine, tires spraying dirt in every direction as he spun around in circles. His horn blared out and echoed noisily amid the debris, letting every conscious being within a two mile radius know exactly where he was.

**-Oww, Sunstreaker.-** Sideswipe moaned. **–Nice job at keeping things subtle. My audios are ringing even at this distance.-**

**-I thought we wanted to attract the 'Cons?- **he replied back smugly.

**-Without attracting any more attention than we need to. Prowl said we need to be careful and stay out of sight around the local organics in his last transmission.-**

**-Since when did you actually start listening to him?- **

**-...-**

**-That's what I thought.-** Sunstreaker tensed as his energy scanners went off. **-I've found that slaggin' 'Con, Sideswipe.-**

**-Hang on, Sunny. Sides is coming to the rescue.-** Sunstreaker watched as the mostly black Earth vehicle swerved, tires squealing as it came to rest not twenty yards from him. Neither car moved, both waiting for the other one to act. Patience not being one of his strong traits, Sunstreaker shifted first, grinning cockily as he towered over the driverless Mustang idling nearby.

"**How desperate were you to scan that piece of junk?"** he taunted. The insult worked as the Decepticon rapidly converted from his alt mode, revealing an extremely irate Barricade. The growls emanating from the black chassis only served to excite Sunstreaker even more. His fingers clenched and unclenched, waiting for just the right moment to strike.

"**Where is the Energon?"** the Decepticon demanded.

"**What are you talking about?"** he replied nonchalantly, crossing his arms and grinning. He didn't know how far away Sideswipe was, but the longer he kept Barricade talking, the easier and much more enjoyable it would be to dismantle the slagger between the two of them.

"**The Energon in exchange for the human's continued existence!"** Barricade hissed back.

"**Keeping pets now, 'Cade? I guess you need a new hobby now that Megatron's gone."** He hit a nerve and before he could duck one of Barricade's blades had made a nice, clean cut in his shoulder plate.

"**You're spare parts aren't worth enough to insult Megatron."**

With a roar Sunstreaker jerked the spike out and tossed it aside before leaping at the now-smirking Barricade. Barricade twisted just beyond his grasp and vaulted over a hill of scrap before taking off, closely followed by a thoroughly pissed off Sunstreaker.

"**You'd better run Decepticon, because if I catch you there won't be any pieces left!" **

Sunstreaker's feet pounded harshly against the ground, keeping pace with smaller and slightly quicker Barricade. The black mech held a minimal advantage over him as he knew the layout of the facility better. More than once he forced the yellow warrior to either climb over or shove aside a few rusted cars before continuing his pursuit.

**-Sideswipe?-** he shouted as he dodged a wrecking ball Barricade swung his way, missing his head vents by millimeters. **–I'm giving you about two nano-clicks to do something before I start getting serious. -**

**-I'm coming, hold your tailpipe!-**

Having finally caught up with the black Decepticon, Sunstreaker let out a yell as he slammed into Barricade mid-chassis, the two of them tumbling and punching each other at every opportunity. Even with the added leverage of stronger armor and a larger body, Barricade's spiked fingers managed to puncture coolant lines in the gaps between his arm plating and almost once nearly sliced off his hand. Kicking the black mech off him, Sunstreaker rolled to one side, battle moves and tactics speeding through his processor.

Barricade recovered quicker and stood up, savagely yelling obscenities at him. Taking the moment's distance he still had, Sunstreaker reached for his gun only to halt as a third pair of headlights spotlighted Barricade.

"**Leave some for me!"** Sideswipe screeched, his alt-mode vaulting off a pile of loosely packed soil. He transformed mid-air heading feet first for Barricade. Sunstreaker watched as his brother sailed through the air, a look of ecstatic excitement on his brother's face plates.

"**COP CAR KUNG FU VERSUS JET JUDO!"**

The metallic ping of Sunstreaker face-palming himself was lost in the din created by Sideswipe as he crashed into Barricade.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'_Why are ya still sittin'? Ya need to get movin' and get us outta here.'_

'What for? Just so I can get captured by Barricade again? Or another crazy human? No thank you, I've been kidnapped enough for one lifetime. I'd rather not get captured by him again. Or getting stepped on by whoever he's fighting,' she finished with more bitterness than she intended. The battle sounds continued outside, each clang of metal on metal ringing through the broken door, not to mention the electronic roars that gave her goosebumps. 'And honestly, I don't think I have a chance against Frenzy.'

'_Tha' lil' thing? C'mon, you weren't afraid to fight that Simmons human and he was much taller.'_

'There's a difference between fighting someone you have at least a ten percent chance of beating and an alien robot who looks like he could turn you into human sushi.' Said Decepticon had not move an inch since Barricade left. 'The only way I would even remotely have any chance is if some giant metal foot came crashing down and—' the resulting smash drowned out the last of her words as an enormous metal body fell through the roof.

"Yyyeeooowwww!" Cassie screamed and covered her head with her hands as broken wood pieces bounced off her forearms. The mech landed on the stack of crates currently occupied by Frenzy. She stared wide-eyed as the new mech lay still for a moment, his red arm marred with scratches and gashes deep enough that she could see lines of criss crossing wires, some of which were thicker than her arm. A thin trail of brightly pink liquid trickled out slowly through a nasty gouge in his upper shoulder.

"**Ouch, that's going to leave a mark. Or five,"** the giant mech rumbled, gears whining in his arm as he sat up.

'_Whoo, now thaz wha' I call an entrance,'_ he laughed. Wait, he was laughing? _'Cassie, meet Sideswipe.'_ Noticing he wasn't alone, the newly introduced Sideswipe stared back at her with equally wide optics. She couldn't really tell if it he was surprised, confused or both. _'An' if Sides is here, tha' means Sunstreaker ain't far away.' _

_What is it with aliens having the weirdest names?_ "Do you speak English? Hello?" she asked, waving her hands at his blank face.

"Of course I can," the mech retorted, brushing off the splintered beams. He stood up and walked out of what remained of her former prison. Thinking she would be better off tagging along with Sideswipe than staying where she was, Cassie hurried to her feet and followed him, jogging to keep up with his stride.

'You know, I'm surprised,' she noted, gasping a little at the sudden run.

''_bout wha'?'_

'He doesn't seem too concerned that I saw him.'

'_Jus' wait. It'll kick in.'_ True enough, about two steps later he stopped and stared down at her again.

"Why are you following me? Go away." Gently he pushed her aside

"Hey, wait a second Sideswipe," she protested, attempting to push against the enormous hand that was shoving her towards the collapsed building. "I thought you were here to rescue me from Barricade?" The pressure on her back was suddenly lifted, causing her to trip backwards before regaining her footing. Craning her neck up, Cassie stifled a laugh. Sideswipe looked as if he had slammed face first into a brick wall.

"How—?"

"—do I know your name? It's a long story." Sighing, she rubbed her head, grinning a little at the thought of what would come later. "But I would be happy to tell you all the details as soon as we get—ahhh!" Cassie suddenly dropped to her knees, the shrill whistle of two razor thin discs flying past her. She clamped down on her upper right arm, agonizing inwardly at the harsh sting. Feeling something warm and wet seeping through her fingers, she glanced over at her side and felt her stomach jump again. There was no denying what the dark-colored liquid was.

'Shit,' she groaned, her breath now coming in short, hitched gasps. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to repeat a mantra of "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt". Cassie was so focused on forgetting about the pain that she didn't notice Sideswipe walk away and come back.

"I thought my scanners picked up two 'Con signatures," he announced as he returned. "I probably landed on this little glitch when Barricade tossed me into that building." Frenzy shrieked erratically as he dangled upside-down in Sideswipe's grip, hissing out curse after curse at the red Autobot. With the slightest flick of the wrist, Sideswipe tossed Frenzy with enough force that she couldn't see where or if he landed.

'_Cassie, yer still losin' a lotta fluid,'_ he reminded her.

'I know,' she said, somewhat exasperated. Cassie carefully lifted her hand. The cuts were deep, but nothing life-threatening so long as she received medical attention soon. She needed some sort of temporary tourniquet to keep the blood flow to a minimum, but the only thing she had available was a useless cell phone and the clothes she was currently wearing. Regretting the choice not to purchase an undershirt, Cassie shrugged off what remained of her shirt and wrapped it tightly against the open wounds.

"Eeeewww, that is so disgusting." Cassie jumped. Sideswipe had been watching her the whole time. "Don't you have an automatic healing system?"

"No, and we don't exactly have a lot of spare time to waste. I need to get back to the base, preferably before I bleed to death. And I'm sure Ratchet would be none too please if I suddenly expired without his say so."

Sideswipe opened his mouth to say something, but a vicious snarl cut him off. Barricade appeared out of nowhere, taking both of them by surprise. The black mech slammed headfirst into him, both releasing a string of curses and grunts as the two struggled against each other.

'Can Sideswipe beat him?' Her question was answered immediately; Sideswipe flipped the black mech up and behind him, moving into a defensive stance in front of her. Barricade recovered only to be pummeled back to the ground by a yellow mech.

"We're getting out of here," he said quickly. Cassie assumed it was to her. His body suddenly shifted down, folding in on itself. Once he had finished, the door of his extremely sporty looking car opened. She didn't need any incentive to jump and buckle in tightly before he shot off.

"Sunstreaker's going to give us some cover," his radio spoke, sounding exhausted.

--

The silence in Sideswipe's interior was thick enough that she could feel it pressing in on her. Or maybe it was the fact that she could tell whatever car he used as a disguise was _extremely_ expensive. The leather on the seats looked brand new and the quantity of electronics on his dashboard definitely didn't come standard in any car she had seen. _Then again_, she reminded herself, _he is an alien mech, so this is probably pretty basic stuff for him._

"Nice ride," she commented not knowing what else to say. Cassie fidgeted in her seat, fingering the seams in the cushion. It was taking all she had not to jump into the driver seat and grab the wheel. Even though seemed to drive without any problems, it was nerve-racking watching the steering wheel rotate on its own.

"Don't do that. It tickles," Sideswipe grunted. She smiled, giggling quietly at the thought of Ironhide being ticklish. The small statement from Sideswipe calmed her abused nerves somewhat. From what little exposure she had to Decepticons, she could not imagine one of them saying that. But it never hurt to be completely sure by asking someone she trusted.

'Are you positive that he's an Autobot?' Cassie snuggled a little deeper into the soft cushion. Her right arm twinged at the movement, but the pain was nothing more than a brief jolt.

'_O' course.'_

'Good. That's all I wanted to know.' She yawned widely, her body begging her to sleep. The adrenaline rush from earlier had worn off, leaving her feeling even more exhausted than she thought.

"Human? How did you know my name?" Cassie replied with a deep, contented sigh. She had fallen asleep.

**-Sideswipe, why did you steal Barricade's pet?-** Sunstreaker edged close to him, keeping minimal distance between their rearview mirrors.

**-She knew my name, Sunny. And she knew the Hatchet as well. Doesn't that seem...weird for humans?-**

Sunstreaker didn't reply right away.

**-Fine.-** he answered. –**Do whatever you want. But I am not carrying that human. At all.- **

* * *

Next time: Getting a little more personal with the twins, and some quality free time.

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	20. Breakdown

**A/N:** Hey, everyone. I can't believe it's been over a year since I lasted updated this. Short story: I hated where this story was originally headed and just left it sit and simmer. I would have updated sooner, but I've had major family issues and a summer's worth of home remodeling that needed to be done. School isn't kind either right now, so I'm not going to say when I'll update next, but I will not leave this story go unfinished. I apologize for any typos/grammar errors in this chapter.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All recognizable TF's are owned by Hasbro.

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"Sometimes a breakdown can be the beginning of a kind of breakthrough, a way of living in advance through a trauma that prepares you for a future of radical transformation."

-Cherrie Moraga

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**Chapter 20: Breakdown**

To someone so deprived of sleep, Sideswipe's upholstery felt like a bed of feathers. If Cassie was being honest, she could have nodded off on a park bench and not known the difference. Sheer exhaustion kept her limbs motionless within the warm interior while her brain gradually switched from "fear" mode back down to "I could care less" mode. For the first time in what felt like forever, her mind remained free of any distracting memories or bone-chilling, goosebump-inducing nightmares. The occasional mental prod from Jazz was met with blissful unconcern; he would get his answers once she had a full and well-deserved eight-hour rest. Fate cruelly interrupted her nap when the car's frame jerked to a stop. The door, which she had converted into a temporary pillow, swung open. She tumbled out face first with the grace of a potato sack.

"Huh? Where's the fire?" she said face planted in the ground but it came out "Hhmm whrr firr..." Her mind sped up to remove the grogginess her body acquired during the short-lived slumber. Her vision focused in time to catch the phantom streaks left behind by disappearing taillights.

'What did I do now?' The unpleasant taste of a mouthful of sand and dirt did not tip the scales in favor of her current Autobot companions. Wide-awake and irritable again, Cassie found enough strength to roll onto her back and stare up at the still ink-colored sky. 'Eugh, how can worms enjoy this stuff?' She wiped her mouth clean, waiting for the telltale rumble of returning engines. Nothing but dead silence.

'Hello, can anyone up there hear me?'

'_Chill, Cass. They ain't goin' ta leave ya.'_ His assurance that she would not be left as vulture food gave her a slight energy boost. Brushing what dirt she could off her body and retaining as much of her ego as she could in the dark, she got up and walked at a snail's pace toward the dark, looming building nearby.

'That's good to know because I'm in no mood to hitchhike back to Tranquility.' She wobbled as she walked, her feet moaning over the loss of shoes as she tiptoed across the cool concrete.

'_Cass, yer goin' the wrong way.'_

'Thank you, Captain Obvious.'

'_The twins are back tha' way if ya wanna turn 'round,'_ he continued with the same tempered coolness as if she hadn't snapped back at him. Sometimes Cassie wondered why she even bothered trying to argue with him.

'I don't really expect them to help me with what I need. Or to know how to.' Her good arm arced in wide, sweeping motions across the side of the building determined to find a way inside.

'_An' tha' would be....?'_

'A decent first-aid kit. Some clothes. A phone or hell, even a bag of stale chips and water would be nice.' Having found a side door, she pushed against it. The metal frame creaked against the lock but remained shut. The windows were too high up for an attempt that would likely find herself sporting another broken appendage should she fall. She tugged once more at the stubborn handle with no success.

"Fine, stay locked. See if I care," she huffed at the offending door. Where was Ratchet when she really needed him? She was desperate enough that even asking the ever enthusiastic yet sometimes dangerous Wheeljack for help sounded like a good idea. Seeing no use in standing alone in the dark, Cassie turned and walked with careful steps to the edge of the massive building where she remembered watching the disguised Autobots vanish.

'Remind me to point Ironhide at that walking Swiss-Army knife the next time I see him,' she yawned, drawing in a large mouthful of the chilly night air. Her right arm ached and itched from the wounds compliments of the miniature Decepticon. She rolled her arm back and forth to stretch the sore muscles, ignoring the twinges of pain as her shirt-turned-tourniquet rubbed against the slow healing cuts. Shivering in the cold, Cassie remembered how close she must have been to permanently losing said arm.

'_An' deny Hatchet his revenge?'_ His facetious tone took her mind away from some of the hurt, encouraging her to add a small chuckle of her own at the thought. It was so much easier to laugh at everything when one was tired.

'Very tempting offer, but I don't know who he'd be more furious with: Frenzy for trying to kill me a la ninja style or me for getting myself hurt again.' Their conversation ended as she rounded the corner, getting her first real look at her current companion. Instincts told her to stay out of sight despite the bodiless reassurance from Jazz. The red one (_'Sideswipe'_ he reminded her) was leaning up against what may have been a storage shed at one point, now only a mess of warped metal and splintered beams under his unearthly weight. Cassie had never seen any of the bots sit down like a human and the result made Sideswipe look even more out of place than a giant Autobot normally would. She was curious what kind of vehicle he was, seeing as almost every piece of his red armor had a curve to it. The posh interior she vaguely recalled falling asleep on suggested something that had a price tag of at least six digits.

'What's he doing?' Fully awake, she edged closer to Sideswipe while remaining as quiet as possible. His headlights spotlighted the area around him, keeping the rest of the area around him dark. Completely fixated on the gaping hole in his lower arm, he seemed oblivious to her silent observation. That, or she blended well with the shadows created by the moonlight.

'_Trying to patch himself up._ _From wha' I caught before ya went into recharge, 'Cade gave 'em more of a fight than those two expected.'_ Sideswipe pulled his good hand back as something sparked and flashed from within his arm. _'An' Ratchet ain't gonna be too happy with how thoroughly Sides got his aft slagged.'_

Cassie continued watching the red mech, unease nagging her like a mosquito. She couldn't quite place her thumb on it but something was making her skin crawl. Any minute he would look up and see her and then......

...wait, wasn't there a second one?

The area around her darkened ominously in response to her voiceless question; she prayed this was the other mech that had been with Sideswipe during the fight. The eardrum-pounding rumble did not immediately calm her growing fear. Turning with deliberate caution, she raised her eyes skyward to look at another set of pale blue optics. Unlike Optimus, whose daunting height and features belied the peaceful nature within, every inch of this Autobot reeked of intimidation. Arms crossed, he watched her with a glare that would send any capable human running for the hills. Her feet, however, decided that now was the perfect time to grow roots and keep her firmly planted where she stood. Fear took over and forced a squeak of surprise from her throat, her brain refusing to string syllables together and form coherent words.

'How did he sneak up on me?' Cassie stared wide-eyed at the mech above her. 'You'd think I'd be able to hear a giant metal foot stomping the ground behind me.'

'_Mmm-hmm.'_

'Is that all you have to say?' she cringed, her stomach twisting itself into a pretzel. 'Mmm-hmm?! No introductions? No 'Keep it cool, Cass?' Or telling me I'm not going to end up as a human pancake in the next ten seconds?'

'_Cassie, meet Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker, Cassie,'_ came the uninterested response.

'And he knows not to step on me, right?' Sunstreaker took a few steps closer to her. Her brain finally connected to her leg muscles as she backpedaled, bumping into the rusting corpse of a gutted car in her haste to get away.

'_Prob'ly not, though Sides over there ain't helping the situation any. I guarantee he' not worried 'bout ya causing any trouble. Jus' don' insult or threaten either of them an' you'll be outta here in no time.'_

"I doubt I can do anything to scare these two." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. Sunstreaker made no indication that he heard or understood what she had said. He followed her as she continued her unguided retreat, heading unintentionally for the seated Autobot.

"As long as you don't spit armor-eating acid, he'll leave you alone." Sideswipe answered for the silent mech, his familiar voice alleviating the nervousness that was creeping under her skin. "I would hate for you to have run off after all the trouble we went through to get you." He watched her with a completely different expression than that of Sunstreaker, one that made her think of a less inquisitive Wheeljack.

"Not like I could go very far," she muttered. Despite the large hole in his arm, he seemed to be the more amiable of the two. "So...uh...how did you find me?" That had not been the first question she had intended to ask but her curiosity won out against the usual obligatory gratitude.

"We weren't looking for you, organic." Sunstreaker's reply was accompanied by a somewhat throaty growl. His deep voice stung like a slap to the face, a complete opposite of the seated Sideswipe. "We followed Barricade's energy signature and wound up fighting the fragger." He turned his optics away from her and fired off a question in Cybertronian to his damaged comrade.

"Not anything to get worried about, Sunshine," Sideswipe answered in English, waving a large hand nonchalantly at the look Sunstreaker was now giving him. "Although I hate to admit it, a trip to the Hatchet's Pit of Pain does sound better than letting you repair this." The offhand mention of Ratchet's nickname sent Cassie's brain on full alert.

"You mean Ratchet, right? Do you know Ironhide as well? And Bumblebee? What about Optimus?" Her excitement had her reeling off the names fast; one of them was bound to ring a bell. She did not expect the stunned silence as the two turned their attention back to her, Sideswipe's mouth plates open wide enough to eat her whole. Sunstreaker's glare did not intensify but his optics dimmed to a deeper blue.

"Ha, I knew it!" Sideswipe proclaimed with glee, metal knuckles punching the yellow mech in an 'I told you so!' way. "I swore on my stash of highgrade that you mentioned Hatchet before going into recharge." It struck her as odd that Sideswipe was _glad_ that she knew about the Autobots.

"That doesn't mean anything, Sides." Sunstreaker forced the red Autobot back into a sitting position none too gentle. "For all we know this organic could be some type of Decepticon infiltration tactic. It can't be that hard to reprogram one of these things." Cassie snorted rather loudly at this comment, having heard something very similar less than a week ago from a different mech.

"I didn't know organics could backfire. That didn't sound very good." The beams groaned underneath Sideswipe's weight as he readjusted himself into an upright position.

"No, I'm okay," she said, keeping her face smile-free. 'Sideswipe doesn't seem to be all that bad.'

'_Don't let Prowl hear ya say tha'. He's got a subspace pocket jus' of data pads detailin' all the trouble he caused in one orn.'_ He paused a moment before adding with a low chuckle _'Tho' some of that stuff wasn't his fault.'_

'Oh, we are definitely going to get along,' she smiled, thinking of the Autobots' surprise when she returned with the newest arrivals. 'Now that I think about it—'

"—when are we leaving?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Sunstreaker was kneeling down next to Sideswipe despite the red mech's blatant refusal of wanting a patch job.

"I was just curious as to when you two will fix yourselves up and take me back to the Autobots," Cassie said matter-of-factly as she eased herself onto a small patch of growth that was not the native cacti and well away from Sunstreaker's reach.

"You're not coming with us," he answered with a tone that implied _'Over my dead body'._

"Why not? I can't stay here and wait for Barricade to come and finish the job," she shot back. Sideswipe began emitting a flurry of electronic chirps at her statement, a smile stretching across his face plates. It was the oddest type of laughing she had witnessed, despite being accustomed to the many times she heard something similar ringing inside her head.

"That Decepticon won't be moving for a very long time," he finished, his voice light and cheerful. "I'd be surprised if he was even online after Sunny was finished with him."

"And you're lucky not to be in stasis lock right now," Sunstreaker added. "He managed to sever your main energon line to this servo. Primus knows what else is loose or damaged in there." He completed his scan on Sideswipe and stood back to watch both him and Cassie, who had quietly edged closer until he glared at her again.

"Well if you're not going to take me with you, at least do me a favor. I know you can communicate with the other Autobots....what's it called....by 'comm', right? Just send them a message and let them know where you left me and I'll be fine," she asked before quietly adding, "If I don't starve first." The pregnant pause that followed did not make her feel comfortable at all.

"You can do that, right?"

"Well we can," Sideswipe began in a subdued voice that suggested he was trying to avoid the subject "but there's a little problem with that theory. We...ah, accidentally collided into something floating around this planet while we were entering the atmosphere."

"You crashed into a _satellite_?"

"It was in our way," Sunstreaker defended "and that 'thing' glitched with our communication systems. Now we can't contact any Autobot outside a three-mile radius."

Cassie stared in utter shock, wondering why fate seemed so persistent in making her life so much more miserable recently. 'I can not believe what I'm hearing. Not only are we way out in the middle of nowhere with no food, water or even a gas station, but Grumpy and Injured here can't even communicate with anyone else.'

'_At least you're with Autobots now.'_

'Much better than being a Decepticon toy,' she agreed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sideswipe felt the worry from his brother seeping through their shared spark connection and melding with his own concern.

**-Stop fretting over me, Sunny. I am not going to offline on you.-**

**-I am not and wouldn't be if you opened your optics once in a breem and processed things before you reacted.-**

**-Why thank you, brother. I didn't know your battle programs left room in your processor for manners or compliments. -** He grinned up at Sunstreaker. This was just their own way of trying to relieve the tension that usually followed when one of them was injured like this. To others it would seem like senseless bickering, but to them it was their own way of dealing with the stress brought on by vorns of fighting the Decepticons. More than a few battles left either one or both of them dangerously close to staying in the Pit for good.

**-What should we do with 'it'?-** Sideswipe didn't have to ask his brother what he was referring to. The human he had "relieved" from Barricade was not shocked by their appearance as they had been informed was a normal reaction of the dominant organics: instead, the human's attention to them mimicked his slight interest in the organic itself.

**-Can I keep it?- **he suggested, adding a special frequency to his message he knew rattled his yellow counterpart to the core. If he used it enough, Sunstreaker would eventually give in. **–We can't let this thing wander around alone. It doesn't look like it is very durable-** he added, noting the odd patches the human had wrapped around its appendage to prevent leaking organic fluid.

**-It can survive on its own Sideswipe. One small organic will not make a difference on this planet.-**

**-It did with Megatron.-** That earned him a dark look from Sunstreaker but nothing more.

–**C'mon Sunny, there has to be a slagging good reason why Barricade wanted this specific human. Unless it was worth something, I'd bet Barricade would've squished it flat by now. And if the 'Cons want it, then aren't we supposed to make sure they can't have it? And it feels....- **he looked back at the creature for a split second, feeling confused by what his sensors were telling him** -...**_**familiar**_**. I can't explain it, but my spark tells me I should know that organic.-**

**-How could you? We've known that thing for all of five breems and it looks **_**familiar**_** to you?-**

**-So you feel it too.-** He took Sunstreaker's grunt as a "yes". **–Let's take it with us and see what happens.-**

**-And if Prime says no?-**

**-Then I take it back where we found it. No complaining.- **Sideswipe jumped on the statement before his twin could change his processor. **–On my honor as an Autobot.-**

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'_Any plans forming in that processor of yours?'_

'Just one: how much food I can cram into my stomach before I pass out.' Cassie stood up and stretched, her foot tingling from falling asleep. The thought of fresh pizza overloaded with toppings encouraged her empty stomach to gurgle loudly. The two mechs looked up at the noise. Neither said a word but their eyes flickered in a way that Cassie could see she was being left out of a conversation. It was easy enough to tell when the Autobots were communicating without speaking: it wasn't hard to notice the little things when you were surrounded by mechs twenty-four/seven.

'I can't figure it out,' she mused, finding a discarded soda can and tapping it with her foot. The abandoned junk yard where they stopped sported a variety of objects to keep her occupied. 'What exactly do they do?'

'_Ya mean their primary function.'_

'Sure, let's go with that.' The can was a delightful distraction. Kicking it harder, she followed the newfound toy as it landed some twenty feet away. 'I know Prime's the leader, Ironhide shoots without bothering to ask questions and Ratchet is a top notch robot doctor when he's not mad at someone. What are Sides and Sunstreaker good at?'

'_Fighting. Never met a 'Con who didn't know their names and those tha' didn't learned soon enough. The pair o' them scare a few Autobots too, but they're good mechs. Sideswipe is friendly enough, when he's not causing trouble, to make up for Sunstreaker's attitude.' _The soft _ping_ of metal striking metal snapped Cassie's attention away from Jazz. The vehicle sitting in front of her stood out from its rusting kin, the white skin dirty but otherwise clean and if she was lucky, still working.

'Things are starting to look up,' she smiled, running her hands along the rusting white frame until she found a handle. Unlike the last time, this door opened with a jarring screech of neglected hinges but that didn't stop Cassie from climbing eagerly into the cab. Her search for the keys lasted only a few brief moments when she found them hidden among empty beer cans underneath the driver seat. 'And I think we may have a way out of this dump.' She nearly skipped back to the gathered mechs but opted for a more energetic jog.

"I have a proposition for you," she announced jovially as if she was the host at an award's show. She faltered a little at Sunstreaker's scrutinizing look and switched her voice back down to normal. "Since Sideswipe doesn't look like he'll be driving anywhere for a while and I can't make it a mile on foot by myself, I offer a compromise." Explaining her plan proved to be the challenge; more than once she had to stop and think in terms of Autobots rather than humans and it made it all very confusing.

"Trust me," she wheedled to Sunstreaker who flat out refused to compromise. "Humans do this all the time and I know how to drive an Earth vehicle. What is even better is that Sideswipe doesn't have to do a lot. As long as he can transform back into a car, we can leave in no time." More flickering optics followed, Cassie keeping her fingers crossed in fervent hope behind her back. Time trickled by as she stood waiting for their decision.

When it seemed the two mechs had reached some type of agreement, Sunstreaker lowered himself until he was within touching distance. "If _anything_ happens to my brother, human," he said with words sharper than steel "then there will be one less organic to populate this planet. Do you understand?"

Cassie could only gulp and nod.

* * *

The first part of the road trip was nerve racking but overall uneventful. The truck cabin muted most of the outside noise, keeping the interior nice and quiet. Her driving skills were not the best since she had gone three weeks without touching a steering wheel belonging to a non-sentient vehicle. After a few minutes of learning the small quirks in the ancient truck's handling, the vehicle was following Sunstreaker without any problems.

'Well, so far so good,' she sighed, taking one hand off the wheel and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 'Now all I have to do is keep myself awake until we get back.' The outdated radio was covered in dust but if it worked, it could at least provide some music to make the time fly by. Flipping on a few switches experimentally, Cassie fiddled with the dial until the soft croon of a late night radio station filled the cabin.

"_On the road again,_

_Goin' places that I've never been,_

_Seein' things that I may never see again,_

_I can't wait to get on the road again."_

"_Is this what humans consider torture?"_ Sideswipe's voice echoed over the simple tunes of the country song. Searching the dark cabin for the source of the voice, she waited and listened for the red mech to speak again. The radio played on without missing a beat.

"_...Just can't wait to get on the road again,_

_The life I love is makin' music with my friends_

_And I can't wait to get on the road again."_

"_It's bad enough that I'm tied to this death-trap on wheels, but do you have to add the awful sound of a human dying to make things worse?"_ His voice sounded again, louder and more annoyed than the first time. Spotting a second radio sitting in the middle of the dashboard, she reached out and experimentally spoke into the walkie.

"Sideswipe?"

"_For Primus sake, turn off that terrible noise,"_ he whined.

"I didn't mean to pick this song," she snapped back. She set the receiver down hoping to listen to the radio the rest of the trip.

'_I gotta go with Sides on this one: isn't there somethin' less—?' _The guitar solo abruptly jumped a few decibel levels as she turned the volume up. She waited until her ears were ringing before turning the music back down. Jazz was noticeably quieter after that.

Several agonizing hours later, Cassie was ready to pull the smaller radio off its perch and toss it out the window without a second thought. Once Sideswipe had figured out how to override the outdated radio, she had been audience to nothing but his constant moanings over the torture that was country music and criticisms about how ineffective she was as a driver.

"_Stop hitting—bzzzt—holes in the—bzzzt—What is wrong with—bzzzt—you listening to me?"_ The CB radio buzzed and crackled at her like the world's most annoying fly as the truck bumped and jostled through another stretch of pothole-filled highway. It was one thing trying to coax the ancient tow truck to go above fifty miles per hour, but it was another thing entirely when the car she was towing kept berating her through the radio.

"I'm doing the best I can," she yelled back through the small speaker while hitting another rut in the scarred road. It was taking every ounce of concentration she could muster at this point to keep the piece of junk on her side of the road. She wasn't exactly certain what kept the car running, but as long as it could keep up with Sunstreaker and tow Sideswipe then she didn't have to worry about becoming the world's first "human pancake". "Stop complaining about a few bumps. I'm sure the road will get better once we get closer to a town or city."

"_Can you make that piece of slag go any faster?"_ Sunstreaker joined the argument for the first time since the trip started. He sounded irritated at the tow truck's limited speed.

"This is as fast as it goes unless you want it to fall apart and have Sideswipe sporting a bumper in his head!" she shouted back, realizing a second too late who she was talking to. The threat worked better than intended; Sunstreaker visibly slowed down and the radio was free of Sideswipe's complaints.

'_How long do ya wanna stay online? Cuz at this rate yer pushin' it to less than a breem.'_

'By my calculations, they can't touch me as long as you're stuck inside of me.'

'_An' when exactly did you tell 'em that?'_ Her smugness disappeared faster than lightening.

"Oh shit, I'm so screwed." She leaned her head against the steering wheel, trying not to think of the many ways a mech of Sunstreaker's size and unpleasant nature could affect her current "among the living" status. "I hope this car makes it back in one piece," she prayed.

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"Two Cybertronian signals detected." He leaned closer to the monitor as Wheeljack and Optimus crowded behind him, making his door panels bend at an uncomfortable angle. "Both nearby, approximately ten Earth miles away and heading on a direct route to the base."

"Autobot or Decepticon?"

"Autobot," he replied decisively.

"Can you tell who it is?" Optimus inquired, leaning in closer to study the monitor.

"No, but whoever they are, they've only made planet fall recently." Prowl scanned a different readout and added, "An Earth vehicle is traveling alongside the two signatures. I have sent multiple comms telling them to lead the human away from the base but both remain unresponsive in the long distance frequencies."

"We need to intercept them before they reach the base." Though their existence was not such a secret anymore, the Autobots had no problems obeying the human governments' policy of minimal human contact. Command given, Prowl and Wheeljack followed Optimus' lead as the group sped out the hanger door and into the early morning sun. Within minutes, the small convoy of vehicles spotted the odd procession heading straight for the base: two Lamborghinis, one yellow and leading the way, the other red and being pulled by a tow truck.

Wheeljack suddenly laughed over the comm. frequency. **-Prowl, I think you were a little off on one of your calculations.-**

**-Which one?-** His question was answered for him as the yellow Lamborghini screeched to a halt, the tow truck nearly colliding with the back end of the car. The yellow car began a rapid shift and within seconds it was quite clear who the newest arrivals were. None of them anticipated what happened next: Sunstreaker stomped over to the towing vehicle and ripped the roof off before removing a human from within.

"**Sunstreaker, what are you doing?"** Prowl started transforming even before he hit the brakes, skidding several yards in the soft earth as he stopped.

"**Getting rid of a pest,"** he growled, dangling the human upside down. No one had to guess who was tied to the tow truck.

"**Wait, Sunny,"** Sideswipe said. The battered twin transformed while still attached to the earth vehicle, one marred servo painfully becoming entwined with the extended arm of the human vehicle. Wheeljack changed out of his alt mode and walked over to the struggling mech. With the smallest of movement, he cut Sideswipe free of the taut cable and loosened the metal chains. **"At least give it a chance to explain itself."**

"I don't have a clue what you're shouting at me for," the human squeaked, "but if you don't set me down _the right way_ I will make–"

"Cassie?" Optimus' deep tone garnered enough attention to silence the Autobots present.

"The one and only." Prowl recovered first while the rest stared at Optimus with looks of confusion, surprise and relief.

"What—where did you—?" he managed to sputter out as Wheeljack retrieved the female from Sunstreaker and set her on the ground. "What happened to Barricade?"

"Don't ask me," she defended, waving her hand at the sports car duo. "I had nothing to do with it."

"It's a long story," Sideswipe began, leaning on his brother for support. "Let's just say that he won't be messing—"

"**SIDESWIPE YOU GLITCH-HEAD!" **The intimidating roar of sirens alerted everyone to Ratchet's fast approach. Sideswipe's optics widened in fear as the yellow Hummer sped closer.

"**I'm so slagged,"** he cringed, moving behind the sturdier and more heavily armored frame of Sunstreaker. He remained hiding behind his brother even after Ratchet arrived and switched into his normal form. No one noticed that Cassie seemed to shrink away from the sight of the medic as well, choosing her hiding spot behind the larger leg of Optimus.

"You have about three nano-clicks to get to the medbay before I drag your offlined afts there myself," Ratchet threatened, pointing a finger at the two. Sideswipe slipped as he quickly moved to comply. Leaning on Sunstreaker and Wheeljack, the three of them walked back to the base. For a split second, Ratchet's optics fell on the trembling form of Cassie behind Optimus. Without pausing to scold her for the complete lack of concern for her fragile body or even acknowledge she was there, the medic turned and followed the other Autobots, grumbling something about "spare parts" as he left.

"That could've gone better," Cassie muttered as soon as the infuriated medic was well beyond audio range. She did not sound angry at the departing Hummer.

"Do you require medical attention?" Prime asked, concerned that Ratchet overlooked the injured human in his haste to tend to Sideswipe.

"It's not an emergency," she said, head still facing the ground. "I can take care of myself without Ratchet hovering over me. If I could have a ride back to the base...." No sooner had she said this than the remaining Autobots quickly reverted into their respective vehicle forms.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. She struggled to climb up Optimus' large step. Ever the observant mech, he lowered his alt mode until she could easily climb into his cab.

"Cassandra, you are very fortunate to have escaped from a Decepticon. Not many Autobots can claim to be that lucky," he informed her through his radio.

"So I've been told." He felt her shift uneasily on the seat. "Let's hope that's the last time I ever see one of them again."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'This has got to be some sort of record.' She reread the date on the electronic clock. 'It's been one whole day and no one has come barging in here with me half naked and screaming at them to leave.' She did not want to jinx herself and say that a certain yellow medic had probably threatened everyone with dismemberment if she wasn't left alone.

'_Aww, c'mon an' give a 'bot a break. It was only once, and Prowl apologized.'_

'He could have waited until I went to see him. _If_ I ever decide to do such a thing.' Setting down the small first aid kit, she frowned at the contents. The already small box of medical supplies had dwindled down until she was left with only a handful of sticky Band-Aids, an empty tube of anti-bacterial cream and less than a foot of gauze. The aspirin bottle remained silent as she shook the empty container and tossed it in the direction of the trashcan. "Crap and double crap. I didn't want to go and see Ratchet but I don't have enough things here to put it off any longer." She drained the rest of her water bottle and headed for the human-sized door across the room. Her walk ended when the door refused to be pushed open.

"That's weird." Choosing a different door, she tried again to exit the room and was rewarded when it swung out.

"What are you doing?"

'Ugh, not him.' She had not taken five steps in the direction of the med bay and she was already feeling irritated. With the politest tone she could manage, she turned and replied, "I am in pain. My arm feels like it is going to fall off. I am going to see Ratchet."

"Aren't there humans trained to take care of other humans? You are only wasting Ratchet's time and talent by bothering him." Sunstreaker eyed her with a scathing look that could burn a hole straight through steel. She noticed he was leaning against the wall, one large foot propped ever so casually against the exit door she had thought was jammed. Cassie sidestepped around his frame, trying to ignore the persistent questions he fired at her. Not one to be easily shoved to one side, Sunstreaker moved and blocked her path.

"Why does Optimus and everyone else insist that you stay here?"

"I'm sure if you ask one of the Autobots they'll fill you in on the whole story." _Get away get away, he's only going to piss you off...._

"Why can't you tell me? Unless you don't know?" That made her stop, hands clenching into fists.

'_Ya don' wanna pick a fight with him. Jus' walk away and keep a cool processor.'_

"I don't see why any Cybertronian with a functioning processor would ally themselves with such an under-developed species—"

"Of course I know!" she yelled at him. His insult had found the weak spot in her resolve and the walls of restraint crumbled into dust, accompanied by a exasperated _'Way ta go, Cassie'_ from the voice.

"It was all a stupid, freak accident and now I'm paying for it! Do you think I want to be here? I did not ask for this. I never wanted any of this. I hate being caged here like an animal, only allowed to leave whenever an Autobot is watching my every step because there are people out there, not to mention Decepticons, who want to see me diced, sliced and served with a nice side of fries and ketchup." She flung every unspoken thought and feeling at him, though most of the things she shouted were not his fault.

"You left me alone with that monster. I could have died; _we_ could have died. I even risked my own life to help your brother, and the least you could do is say 'Thank you' or 'I appreciate the effort' or something along those lines. But noo! You have to go and rub it in my face how 'superior' you are and how unimportant you deem me to be and you know what? I don't give a shit how high and mighty you think you are, but I am through with it. Done. Finished. Finito. The end. I'm leaving and taking the next bus home." By now, the rumble from Sunstreaker was a low, menacing sound of anger but Cassie ignored the warning signs of the thin ice she was treading upon. The last word she had said rekindled her fury even further.

"I haven't spoken to my family in weeks! No one knows anything about what's going on. My mom thinks I'm safe and sound back home. Sable hasn't called me back, she probably thinks I've runaway and...and...". Her obstinate defiance and anger shattered as she spoke the fears she had kept hidden from everyone, Autobot and human alike. The last of her resolve faded as her words became hiccups and sobs. Cassie sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. She stared at the floor, feeling the flow of cold tears that trailed down her skin.

"I want to go home." _Sniff_. "I want to go home." Where were those damn ruby slippers that turned everything back to normal with a few heel clicks? "I wanna go home."

"Slag, now Ratchet'll think I broke the fraggin' thing."

"Sunstreaker, I need—" Prowl stepped around the corner, stopping as he took in the scene before him. "Explain."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. You are the only Autobot in the vicinity, and her current emotional state logically dictates," he pointed a large white finger at her, his voice gaining the authoritative monotone he was famous/infamous for "that you did or said something that now hinders her internal processes from functioning correctly. Her actions right now indicate severe stress and processor instability."

"I'm okay, Prowl," she managed to blubber out to no avail.

"So? When did we start giving special treatment to humans? Are they so important that we neglect our own kind for _them_?" Sunstreaker fired back.

"Sideswipe is not being neglected," Prowl answered with a crisp tone. "He is in recovery at the moment, which you would already know if you were not pacing the hallways. There is no need to take your misplaced frustration out on anyone else here."

"Who offlined and made you Prime all of a sudden?" Sunstreaker shoved Prowl in the chest, leaving a large indent where his fingers had pressed into the metal. "You can't prove I did anything wrong to make her malfunction like that."

Cassie inched back, expecting Prowl to lose it and start a fight with Sunstreaker. On the contrary, the data pad in his hands vanished and he walked over to here, voice without a hint of anger. "I will talk with you later, Sunstreaker." Prowl leaned down and scooped a quietly sobbing Cassie into his hands. She tried to wipe her eyes dry, but the tears continued to trickle out.

"Put me down. I can walk." For whatever reason, he kept his optics focused ahead and chose not to answer. Five seconds later Cassie found herself seated on a side table in the medbay.

"Stay here until Ratchet returns." He turned and walked out without another word, leaving her to turn Sunstreaker's words over repeatedly in her mind while she waited. It wasn't long before Ratchet came stomping through the doors.

"Sit down!" he thundered with all the politeness of an ogre. "Or I'll make it so you can't do anything else!"

"Look, I'm okay Docbot, can't I—"

"If you want to keep your processor out of your aft, you're going to stay on that berth until I say you can leave!" A flash of red disappeared into the back room.

"Uh?"

"Not you," Wheeljack assured her as he walked in behind the infuriated Ratchet. He opened his three-fingered hand to her, displaying an unopened First-Aid kit. "Sideswipe and Ratchet have a long history of getting along well together." He suddenly ducked as a large object whizzed past his shoulders accompanied by a "Go frag yourself" from somewhere in the back room. He picked up the tool and set it aside calmly as if nothing had happened.

"Ratchet was concerned that your encounter with Barricade would have negative side effects on your condition." To make his point, he turned her arm so that the scabbing cuts were visible.

"I'm still in one piece, aren't I? At least give me credit for not completing freaking out when Sideswipe nearly squashed me." She held her arm out for him and waited patiently as he quickly wrapped a fresh strand of tape around the gauze. There was a loud bang from the back room, followed by an indignant outcry of "I didn't know she was there!" from Sideswipe.

"You are correct. Humans seem to have innate survival instincts that become most prevalent during times of great distress, making them capable of feats and emotions uncommon in your normal human culture. Or so I've seen."

"Reality shows don't count, 'Jack." His ears flickered in a way that she knew he was amused at her statement but said nothing more. Ratchet reappeared moments later, looking more like the irritated mech Jazz insisted he was. He took one glance at her and said, "You're staying here for a cycle or two."

"What? Why?"

"Because I said." His hand came down hard on the table. "Your overall readout falls miserably below acceptable levels and until you see fit to get better, I'm putting you in medical recovery until further notice." Before she could refuse, Ratchet picked her up none too gently and placed her on a small side table in the back room. The meager furnishings she had used on her previous stay were already waiting for her there, along with a small box of dried food and water. Ratchet left, the doors shutting behind him followed by the obvious click of a lock.

"What're you in for?" Sideswipe, unfazed by medic's acrid demeanor, lay with one arm strapped to the Autobot-sized table. He seemed rather happy that someone else shared part of Ratchet's ire at the moment.

"Saving someone's life."

"Really? And the Hatchet's mad at you for that?"

"I guess so."

Sideswipe turned his head so that his blue optics met her comparatively feeble brown eyes. "You've been living with the Autobots here?"

"For awhile. It's for ou—my safety."

"Speaking of 'bots," he continued, still watching her every reaction "have you met one named...let's see...I guess in your language he'd pick something along the lines of...Blues? No, that doesn't even sound like him...Blaster isn't right either... how about Jazz?" He's on the short side as far as Autobots are considered, and the Pit take me if he didn't take some Earth vehicle he thought looked stylish in his optics. He probably chose some flashy color to make himself stand out even more." Cassie froze as Sideswipe spelled out word for word the Autobot contained within her body. "I've tried hailing him on the special frequency he set up for me and Sunstreaker in case we got into more trouble than we could handle, but he won't answer it at all and no one will tell me where he is."

She fully intended to tell him exactly where the Autobot in question was, but changed her mind at the last second and said, "I'm sure if you looked hard enough you're bound to find him sooner or later." Adding a sly wink at the end, Cassie grinned as Sideswipe seemed lost in her riddle.

The door to their room opened, both occupants looking up and hoping they were the lucky patient getting an early release.

"I know Ratchet's only looking out for you, but I think something else would be better for you than staying in here all cycle." Wheeljack held out his hand for her and she jumped at the chance to be anywhere but the medbay. "We have to move quickly so he won't find out or he won't fix me next time I lose a limb."

Sideswipe opened his mouth plates to protest. "Sunstreaker will have found the medbay access codes by now, so I'm positive he'll visit you soon," the scientist added as the doors shut behind them. He paused at the doors, scanning the halls for any unwanted wandering Autobots. It suddenly hit Cassie that Wheeljack would be punished by Ratchet should they be caught.

"You don't have to do whatever you're planning to do just to make me happy."

"I'm not doing this only for you," he quietly explained, moving quickly and taking an abrupt turn down a different corridor. Luck seemed to be with them as he passed unhindered through the base's maze of hallways. "Bumblebee has been silent on his comm for too long."

"He's hiding Sam and Mikaela, though, so shouldn't he not answer?"

"Yes, and we've developed special frequencies to deal with those situations, but it is uncommon for him to be quiet this long. I contacted Sam and he informed me that they were not being followed nor had any Decepticons been spotted in their area." He stopped to insert a finger into the control panel. A second later it beeped and a small door opened leading outside opened to her right. "He also seemed worried by Bumblebee's prolonged disposition and gave me an idea that requires your cooperation."

'So, what should we do?' It felt weird asking the voice inside her head for his input as if he was the manifestation of her conscience, but his answers were usually the right ones.

'_Now I'm not a 'bot ta norm'ly go against what Hatchet says, but a little bendin' of the rules can't hurt us. 'Specially if Bee ain't feelin' righ'.'_

"Road trip it is then." Wheeljack, already waiting in his alt mode, took off as soon she buckled in. If all went well, they would leave and be back before anyone noticed Cassie was even missing from the med-bay.

Prowl stepped out from the corner as the exit doors closed, the slightest hiss of exasperation coming from his vents.

* * *

*Lyrics are from "On the Road Again" by Willy Nelson.

There you go. Happy now? XD

A/N .2 : I've realized I need a beta. Anyone want to volunteer? Please PM me if you are interested.

Next Chapter: A visit to Bumblebee and someone shows up to ruin the party....


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